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The bipartisan legislation would seek to address potential enforcement gaps in federal law and proposes lifetime bans for federally regulated transportation credentials. (CHUYN/Getty Images)

A bill aimed at enhancing federal safeguards to fight human trafficking was recently introduced in the Senate.

The Trafficker Restrictions for Aviation, Federal Freight and Interstate Carriers (TRAFFIC) Act, sponsored by Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), would ensure people convicted of human trafficking crimes are permanently prohibited from obtaining professional transportation licenses. As part of the bill, the departments of Transportation and 91��Ƶland Security would deny these individuals the licenses.

“Human trafficking is one of the fastest-growing illicit industries, and anyone convicted of these despicable offenses should be permanently barred from holding a federally issued transportation license,” Blackburn said Nov. 6. “Our bipartisan TRAFFIC Act would strengthen federal law to better prevent and combat human trafficking and expand protections for vulnerable individuals.”

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Cortez Masto added, “I have been fighting against human trafficking since my time as Nevada’s attorney general. Transportation workers should be focused on safety and security. People who have been convicted of human trafficking should never be allowed to fly commercial planes or conduct passenger trains — it’s just common sense.”

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Specifically, the bipartisan legislation would seek to address potential enforcement gaps in federal law. It also would propose lifetime bans for federally regulated transportation credentials. This lifetime ban would apply to licensed positions for individuals convicted of human trafficking. Industries specific to locomotive conductors, pilots and merchant mariners would be subject to the bill’s provisions.

Background information the sponsors provided explained the bill would “reinforce protections for vulnerable individuals, strengthen interagency coordination within DOT and ensure that America’s transportation workforce upholds the highest ethical and safety standards.”

The bill’s committee consideration has yet to be scheduled. Congressional policymakers consistently approve bipartisan measures aimed at combating human trafficking.

My Advanced Border Coordination Act would make it easier for local, state, and federal law enforcement to work together and combat trafficking along the border.

This is common sense legislation, and I'm pushing to pass it into law. — Senator Cortez Masto (@SenCortezMasto)

A 2024 report by DOT’s Advisory Committee on Human Trafficking determined that the exploitation of victims of commercial sex and forced labor along transportation systems generates an estimated $150 billion in illicit annual profit.

“While roadways, railways, waterways and airways serve as vital arteries of global connectivity and commerce, these same networks can also facilitate the clandestine movement of individuals being subjected to human trafficking by concealing them amidst the vast flow of legitimate passengers,” according to the report titled, “Preventing and Addressing Human Trafficking in the Transportation Sector.”

ATA applauds Senators and for introducing the bipartisan TRAFFIC Act that will crack down on human trafficking in transportation—protecting victims and strengthening safety across all modes.

Learn more: — American Trucking (@TRUCKINGdotORG)

“Traffickers utilize transportation routes to recruit and facilitate the trafficking of human beings, and survivors often use them to escape traffickers and to assist in their road to recovery,” per the report.

Stakeholders supporting the measure include the and .

“Nearly a decade ago, we endorsed a law banning anyone convicted of this horrific crime from operating a commercial motor vehicle,” ATA Senior Vice President of Legislative Affairs Henry Hanscom said in a statement that accompanied the bill. “Now it is time for the rail, aviation and maritime industries to be a part of the solution.

“We applaud Sens. Blackburn and Cortez Masto for introducing this bipartisan bill that would close loopholes for licensed positions across our transportation network in order to crack down on predators and protect vulnerable individuals.”