The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) recently appointed 15 members to its new Advisory Committee on Human Trafficking.
The committee was established under the Combating Human Trafficking in Commercial Vehicles Act. Its objective is to submit recommendations on strategies for identifying and reporting instances of human trafficking.
The committee also will submit recommendations for legislative or administrative changes designed to combat human trafficking for programs, properties, and resources owned, operated, or funded by the USDOT.
Best practices also will be suggested for state and local transportation agencies. The suggestions will be based on evidence-based models and programs, and multidisciplinary research. It will include strategies to identify victims and sample training materials.
“Members of this committee have extensive experience in combatting human trafficking, and the Department looks forward to receiving their recommendations and reports,” USDOT Secretary Elaine L. Chao said.
Committee members are from law enforcement and trafficking-advocacy organizations as well as the aviation, bus, maritime, port, rail, and trucking industries.
Catherine Todd Bailey, former U.S. Ambassador to Latvia, was named chairwoman while Linda Burtwistle, president & COO of Coach USA and American Bus Association board member, was named vice chairperson.
The committee builds on USDOT’s work with transportation stakeholders across all modes of transportation to prevent human trafficking through the Transportation Leaders Against Human Trafficking initiative. The department also partners with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Blue Lightning Initiative.