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“INTRODUCTION OF LEGISLATION TO COMBAT HUMAN SEX TRAFFICKING” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1766-E1767 on Sept. 19, 2006.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
INTRODUCTION OF LEGISLATION TO COMBAT HUMAN SEX TRAFFICKING
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HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY
of new york
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, today, along with Representative Lynn Woolsey and Representative Jerrold Nadler, I am introducing legislation that would combat human sex trafficking by using the tax code to put traffickers in prison. Approximately 600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders each year. Instead of dreams of better jobs and better lives, they are trapped into a nightmare of coercion, violence, and disease. However, trafficking is not just a problem in other countries. In addition to the men, women, and children from around the world who are brought into the United States for the sole purpose of being bought and sold by American citizens for commercial sex, in many communities, the victims themselves are Americans.
The legislation, which is based on an amendment attached by Senator Grassley to S. 1321, the ``Telephone Excise Tax Repeal Act of 2005,'' would authorize $2 million toward the establishment of an office within the IRS Criminal Investigation division to prosecute sex traffickers for violations of tax laws. This office would coordinate closely with the existing task forces in the Department of Justice that are focused on sex trafficking offenders. The IRS would be directed to focus on the willful failure of traffickers to file returns, supply information, or pay tax where the taxpayer is an ``aggravated'' non-filer. Additionally, the provision establishes a new felony offense for an aggravated failure to file to include failure to file with respect to income or payments derived from activity which is criminal under Federal or State law. The aggravated failure shall carry a maximum sentence of ten years per failure and shall increase the penalty from
$25,000 under current law to $50,000. The legislation also increases other penalties for underpayment or overpayment of tax due to fraud.
The bill works to the benefit of the women and girls that are victimized by the traffickers not only by removing the traffickers from the streets but also by revising the IRS Whistleblower provisions that are currently in place so that the women and girls who choose to participate in the investigation of the trafficker will be eligible to participate in the whistleblower program and may ultimately receive some payment for their participation.
It is important that we protect the victims of the sex trade industry, and punish the predators who exploit them.
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