​Pending Legislation

S. 1968: Business Supply Chain Transparency on Trafficking and Slavery Act of 2015

To amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require certain companies to disclose information describing any measures the company has taken to identify and address conditions of forced labor, slavery, human trafficking, and the worst forms of child labor within the company’s supply chains.

The Human Thread Campaign collaborates with the work of U.S. Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking, and, with USCSAHT, we seek to all of the women of the U.S. Senate to co-sponsor S. 1968.

Purpose: The purpose of the USCSAHT Women of the Senate Campaign is to build support among Senate women for S 1968, the Business Supply Chain Transparency on Trafficking and Slavery Act. S 1968 would amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require certain large companies to disclose information describing any measures they have taken to identify and address conditions of forced labor, slavery, human trafficking, and the worst forms of child labor within the company’s supply chains.

We hope that our members, by reaching out to the women of the Senate, will be able to persuade all of the women senators to co-sponsor S 1968.

Timeline: The campaign will begin on Monday, April 25 and continue through June 10. This will allow USCSAHT members opportunities to contact each of the Senate women multiple times and persuade them to co-sponsor S 1968. The campaign will include emails, phone calls, letters, social media, and visits with staff in Washington and in the Senators’ home states. USCSAHT representatives will receive email alerts and related materials as each phase of this campaign unfolds.

1. Beginning Monday, April 25, please e-mail your senators, inviting them to co-sponsor S 1968. A “thank you” e-mail can be sent to sponsor Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and to the current co-sponsors, Senators Ed Markey (D-MA), Al Franken (D-MN) and Kirsten Gillebrand (D-NY). Here is the link for both e-mails: https://www.votervoice.net/IPJC/campaigns/46030/respond
2. Monday, May 9 will be a call-in day. It is especially important to have constituents call their women senators, but we are encouraging everyone to call the 19 women senators and appeal to them to co-sponsor, as women and girls comprise the most of the victims of human trafficking.
3. From May 16-27, everyone will be invited to sign a letter to all 19 senators, which will be available as a Google Form.
4. Between May 30 – June 10, you are invited to make a personal visit to your senator(s) district office(s) to urge them to co-sponsor S 1968.
5. All materials will be sent to the USCSAHT representative for each congregation and coalition to share with their members, associates, coworkers, friends, and others.

Rationale: Many anti-trafficking bills have been proposed and passed during this session of Congress, all of which address sex trafficking. However, in the Senate, S 1968 is the only bill that begins to address issues related to labor trafficking. “We are grateful to the women of the Senate for their past efforts to end human trafficking and were very encouraged when the women of the Senate, Republicans and Democrats alike, chose to focus their common efforts in the 114th Congress on ending human trafficking,” said Ann Scholz, SSND, chair of the USCSAHT working group on legislative advocacy. “We think their bipartisan support for S 1968 would go a long way to ensuring its eventual passage.”

This campaign is an opportunity for members of USCSAHT and collaborators from The Human Thread Campaign to reach out to these senators and urge them to stand up and co-sponsor this important legislation.

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For more information, please, visit: http://www.sistersagainsttrafficking.org/take-action/legislative-action/women-senate-campaign/http://www.sistersagainsttrafficking.org/take-action/legislative-action/women-senate-campaign/