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RESOLUTION URGING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO ENACT ''THE STRENGTHENING THE CHILD WELFARE RESPONSE TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING ACT OF 2013'' OR SIMILAR LEGISLATION

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WHEREAS, human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery where individuals are often sold or forced into sexual exploitation; and
WHEREAS, a 2001 study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania estimated that between 244,000 and 325,000 children in America are at risk each year of becoming victims of commercial sexual exploitation; and
WHEREAS, a 2011 report by the Department of Justice�s Bureau of Judicial Statistics also found that nearly half of all incidents of sex trafficking in the United States involve victims under the age of 18; and
WHEREAS, Congress has taken up this issue through companion House and Senate bills that have been filed for consideration during the 113th Congress, respectively, S.1823 by Senators Marco Rubio (R-Florida) and Kay Hagan (D-North Carolina) and H.R.1732 by Representative Karen Bass (D-California) and 38 co-sponsors; and
WHEREAS, the bills are titled ''The Strengthening the Child Welfare Response to Human Trafficking Act of 2013''; and
WHEREAS, the legislation would require that state plans for foster care and adoption assistance include a requirement that state agencies (1) maintain records of each child in the agency�s placement, care, or supervision that has been a victim of trafficking and the type of trafficking that the child has been subjected to and (2) report the identify of any child that has gone missing, been abducted, or is identified as a victim of trafficking to the appropriate law enforcement agency within 72 hours for entry in the National Crime Information Center; and
WHEREAS, this legislation would also require the Department of Health and Human Services to develop and publish guidelines to assist state and local child welfare agencies and juvenile and family courts in appropriately serving children who have become or are at-risk of becoming victims of trafficking; and
WHEREAS, these changes are needed reforms that will ensure that adoption and foster care serve as a lifeline to a healthy childhood and a better future by more promptly identifying child victims of human trafficking and giving them the comprehensive services they need; and
WHEREAS, these reforms are particularly important for Miami-Dade County because Florida is ranked as one of the top three states in the nation for human trafficking cases, along with New York and Texas, according to the Center for the Advancement of Human Rights at Florida State University,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board:
Section 1. Urges the United States Congress to enact ''The Strengthening the Child Welfare Response to Human Trafficking Act of 2013'' or similar legislation.
Section 2. Directs the Clerk of the Board to transmit certified copies of the resolution to Senator Marco Rubio, the remaining Florida Congressional Delegation, Senators Kay Hagan, and Representative Karen Bass.
Section 3. Directs the County�s federal lobbyists to advocate for the issues identified in Section 1 above, and authorizes and directs the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs to include this item in the 2014 federal legislative package when it is presented to the Board.