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HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Human trafficking is a serious and escalating public |
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health issue in the United States, particularly in Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, It is estimated that there are more than 300,000 |
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victims of human trafficking in the State of Texas, and nearly |
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80,000 of those are identified as minors; and |
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WHEREAS, The number of cases reported rose 82 percent from |
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2015 to 2017, giving Texas the second-highest number of human |
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trafficking reports in the country, with explosive growth occurring |
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across all segments of our society in every ethnicity, gender, and |
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age, regardless of immigration, socioeconomic, or family status; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Victims of human trafficking experience a severe and |
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complex trauma that is recognized by the medical community as one of |
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the most challenging to effectively treat; it requires long-term |
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counseling, therapy, and often inpatient treatment, which is |
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complicated by the fact that relatively few facilities in Texas are |
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trained in trauma-informed care; and |
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WHEREAS, The health problems engendered by human trafficking |
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are a crisis that impacts a substantial number of Texans in |
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communities across the state; sexual exploitation of women and |
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children account for 84 percent of cases and cost the state an |
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estimated $6.6 billion in additional physical and mental health |
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care and social services; this also creates additional strain on |
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our health care and law enforcement systems; and |
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WHEREAS, Gangs and cartels have combined drug and human |
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trafficking operations to become a primary controlling influence in |
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both, with the traffickers involved proving to be some of the most |
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dangerous and violent criminals to whom thousands more innocent |
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victims fall prey each year; and |
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WHEREAS, All forms of human trafficking are criminal acts, |
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and it is imperative that this issue be appropriately addressed so |
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that we may bring an end to this atrocious crime and help survivors |
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to move forward with their lives; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 86th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby recognize human trafficking as a public health issue. |
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