To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness Training Program.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the recognition and the cosponsorship and support.

Mr. Speaker, this bill came from a meeting I had in Memphis with nurses at the University of Tennessee. They were discussing human trafficking and ways that victims could be identified, and the idea came to fruition through the work of the University of Tennessee Nursing School.

Human traffickers exploit tens of thousands of people in the United States. When we talk about human trafficking here, we are basically talking about sexual trafficking. I mean, the trafficking of workers, the trafficking in a variety of occupations, but these are women who are trafficked for sex.

The actual number is difficult to determine, but it is one of the reasons we introduced the SOAR Act several years ago. I am pleased it passed, and it has done much good.

It has shown that, when nurses are trained, they can identify victims of sexual trafficking. Oftentimes they end up in health facilities because they get beaten by the people who put them into this position. They have wounds, and they have to come to emergency rooms. The nurses are there to observe. If they are trained, they are the initial source. They can then get these women out of the human trafficking and prevent this scourge on human society.

This bill expanded the training program under the Department of Health and Human Services to train these workers, health and social service providers, to identify potential human-trafficking victims, work with law enforcement to report and facilitate the communication with such victims, refer victims to social or victim service agencies and organizations, and provide victims with coordinated care tailored to their circumstances.

The program has been successful. In September 2017 and September 2023, the Office of Trafficking in Persons hosted 222 events through which they trained over 263,000 healthcare professionals. After receiving the training, 91.4 percent of the participants indicated they had high or very high confidence in their ability to identify and respond to human trafficking.

The SOAR to Health and Wellness Program has made tremendous strides to train healthcare professionals on the signs of human trafficking and the appropriate steps to be taken once they identify the victim.

As Members of Congress, we should continue to support this program so that more people could be trained to properly identify and assist victims of human trafficking. Pass the reauthorization bill here, and let our constituents know that, if they are being trafficked or are suspicious that someone they know is being trafficked, help is available.

The Homeland Security Investigations Tip Line is 866-347-2423, and the National Human Trafficking Hotline is 888-373-7888.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill to reauthorize the SOAR Act, and I thank the committee ranking member and the committee chair for bringing the bill to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of H.R. 7224, a bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness Training Program.

This bipartisan legislation, introduced by Representative Cohen, would reauthorize the program administered by the Administration of Children and Families that trains healthcare and social service providers on human trafficking.

The SOAR program is designed to educate healthcare providers, social workers, public health professionals, and behavioral health professionals on how to identify and respond appropriately to individuals who either have experienced trafficking or are at risk of it.

This training is targeted at physicians, pharmacists, nurses, dentists, psychologists, social workers and case managers, school counselors, public health professionals, and allied health professionals, as well.

Human trafficking impacts thousands of people in the United States. According to the Harvard Medical School Center for Primary Care, over 88 percent of human-trafficking victims seek medical care in various health settings. Ensuring that our health professionals who serve on the front lines of providing medical care for human-trafficking victims are appropriately trained and supported is essential.

In 2019, the original SOAR to Health and Wellness Act was signed into law, which established the SOAR to Health and Wellness Training Program. This program helps healthcare settings create a plan for treating human-trafficking victims and support victim recovery.

Since the establishment, over 90 percent of providers who received SOAR training reported high or very high confidence in identifying and responding to human trafficking.

With the passage of the reauthorization bill, we can continue to fund this important training initiative, as well as encourage collaboration between healthcare providers and law enforcement and social service providers in the fight against human trafficking.

I thank Representative Cohen for his leadership on this legislation, as well as Dr. Bucshon and my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee for working with us to bring this to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' to continue a well-rounded national effort to combat human trafficking, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen), the sponsor of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 7224, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7224) to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness Training Program.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the Record on the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7224, a bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness Training Program led by Representatives Wagner and Cohen.

Individuals who have experienced human trafficking will often encounter a healthcare or social service provider during or after their exploitation. The Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond, or SOAR, to Health and Wellness Training Program was signed into law in 2018 to help local healthcare professionals receive essential training to identify and care for victims of human trafficking.

Reauthorizing this program will maintain a vital source of support for victims of human trafficking by ensuring communities have the resources available to provide appropriate services.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter).

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I encourage a ``yes'' vote on this

bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7224, which reauthorizes the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness Act. I am proud to co-lead this important bill with the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen), and I thank him for his work.

Mr. Speaker, this bill provides healthcare professionals with training on how to identify and appropriately treat victims of human trafficking. Every 2 minutes, a child in the United States falls into the human-trafficking ring.

In 2023, nearly 10,000 cases were reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, with over 600 of those occurring in Georgia. At some point during their captivity, many of these victims will come into contact with healthcare professionals. A doctor's visit or an emergency department trip can offer a critical point of intervention for victims and a brief chance when a victim may be able to detach from traffickers.

This legislation will teach healthcare professionals how to properly identify and respond to victims of human trafficking. That is why I applaud Representative Cohen for introducing this bill, and I urge my colleagues to support it.