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H.R. 4708: Department of Homeland Security Blue Campaign Authorization Act

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H.R. 4708: Department of Homeland Security Blue Campaign Authorization Act

115th Congress · introduced 2017-12-21 · Crime and Law Enforcement · Latest: Became Public Law No: 115-125.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2017-12-21 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. McCaul, Michael T. [R-TX-10] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Became Public Law No: 115-125. (final step reached)
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Department of Homeland Security Blue Campaign Authorization Act

Plain summary

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The expanded summary of the House passed version is repeated here.) Department of Homeland Security Blue Campaign Authorization Act (Sec. 2) This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to authorize in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) a program to be known as the Blue Campaign, the purpose of which shall be to unify and coordinate DHS efforts to address human trafficking. The campaign director shall issue DHS-wide guidance to and develop training programs for appropriate DHS personnel, coordinate departmental efforts, and provide guidance and training on trauma-informed practices to ensure that human trafficking victims are afforded prompt access to victim support service providers and assistance to address their immediate and long-term needs. Such campaign shall provide guidance and training to DHS personnel and other federal, state, tribal, and law enforcement personnel regarding: programs to help identify instances of human trafficking; the types of information that should be collected and recorded in DHS information technology systems to identify individuals suspected or convicted of human trafficking; systematic and routine information sharing within DHS and among federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement agencies regarding such individuals and patterns and practices of human trafficking; techniques to identify suspected victims of trafficking along the U.S. border and at airport security checkpoints; methods to be used by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and personnel from other appropriate agencies to train TSA employees to identify suspected trafficking victims and to serve as a liaison and resource regarding human trafficking prevention to appropriate state, local, and private sector aviation workers and the traveling public; utilizing resources to educate partners and stakeholders and increase public awareness of human trafficking; and leveraging partnerships with state and local governmental, non-governmental, and private sector organizations to raise public awareness of human trafficking. (Sec. 3) DHS shall: (1) ensure the integration of information technology systems utilized within DHS to record and track information regarding individuals suspected or convicted of human trafficking; and (2) report to Congress on the status and effectiveness of, and providing a recommendation regarding the appropriate office within DHS for, the Blue Campaign.

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed Senate without amendment), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Department of Homeland Security Blue Campaign Authorization Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Passed Senate without amendment)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. McCaul, Michael T. [R-TX-10] · 3 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Clay Higgins (R-LA)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. McCaul, Michael T. [R-TX-10] reported raising $276,976 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

Agencies named in this bill

Found automatically: the agency's full official name appears in the bill title. A bill can affect agencies it does not name, so this list may be incomplete.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (4)
Appropriation
Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Authorization
A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Securities
Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong115-hr4708 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115