Washington, DC (October 19, 2020) – The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) urged the Senate to pass the “Stop Sexual Assault and Harassment in Transportation Act” (H.R. 5139), which was unanimously adopted by the House on October 1, 2020. It was introduced by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR).
The bill would require that transportation providers—including passenger airlines, transit agencies, and ridesharing companies—establish formal policies, training, and reporting structures to effectively respond to incidents of sexual assault, harassment, and human trafficking incidents.
“One of the most important aspects of this bill is requiring training for transportation providers about sexual assault and human trafficking including how to recognize potential victims. This legislation is long overdue. The government should actively prevent sexual assault and harassment from occurring. We urge the U.S. Senate to pass it. This is a logical step to improve public safety during travel, especially for women and children,” said Patrick A. Trueman, president and CEO of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation.
About National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE)
Founded in 1962, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) is the leading national non-partisan organization exposing the links between all forms of sexual exploitation such as child sexual abuse, prostitution, sex trafficking and the public health harms of pornography.