January 11 is International Human Trafficking Awareness Day.
Human trafficking, sex trafficking and other forms of mental and physical abuse are disturbing issues the legislature continues to tackle. Working together, the legislature continues to modify and strengthen state law in an effort to put an end to these abuses and to hold the abusers accountable.
Last year, I proudly supported, and the legislature passed House Bill 6657, that:
- Provides human trafficking victims the ability to have certain convictions vacated if the crime was committed as a result of being a victim of human trafficking;
- Broadens the crimes of “sex trafficking,” “patronizing a prostitute,” and “commercial sexual abuse of a minor” to include taking these actions in exchange for anything of value, instead of only for money;
- Mandates a study of how online traffickers use the internet to groom minors to be trafficked and exploited, making recommendations to the Judiciary Committee on how to combat online grooming;
- Extends the Department of Children and Families (DCF) training in human trafficking awareness requirement to EMS personnel
HB 6657 passed the House unanimously and was signed into law by the governor as Public Act
21-103. I want to thank everyone who helped make this legislation possible.
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