88R12802 AMB-D     By: Hunter H.C.R. No. 64       CONCURRENT RESOLUTION          WHEREAS, Human trafficking is a serious and escalating   problem in the United States, particularly in Texas; and          WHEREAS, A multibillion-dollar business, human trafficking   is second only to drug dealing in criminal profitability and is one   of the fastest-growing illegal enterprises, according to the   Polaris Project, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that   maintains the National Human Trafficking Hotline; thousands of   foreign nationals are trafficked into the United States each year,   and it is estimated that the number of U.S. citizens trafficked   within our own borders is even higher; and          WHEREAS, Texas is a major point of illegal entry into the   United States; its large geographic size along with its   demographics make the Lone Star State appealing to traffickers, who   endeavor to blend into the population while exploiting their   victims in forced labor and prostitution; and          WHEREAS, Although Texas has been recognized as a leader in   the effort to end the scourge of human trafficking, eradication of   this modern-day form of slavery is a difficult challenge, and every   means of combating it should be explored; now, therefore, be it          RESOLVED, That the 88th Legislature of the State of Texas   hereby request the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the House   of Representatives to create a joint interim committee to study the   problem of human trafficking in Texas; and, be it further          RESOLVED, That the committee's proceedings and operations be   governed by such general rules and policies for interim committees   as the 88th Texas Legislature may adopt; and, be it further          RESOLVED, That the committee submit a full report, including   findings and recommendations, to the 89th Texas Legislature before   it convenes in January 2025.