Article 4 Laws on Human Trafficking

America has seen an increase in the rate of human trafficking over the years. Due to the protection of American citizens right to live, many laws have been enacted towards human trafficking. There have also been plenty of assembly bills that have been talked about but the laws that have been enacted are ones that will protect us citizens. The California legislation, specifically, has focused on criminalizing sex and labor trafficking, encouraging training for peace officers on human trafficking, providing financial assistance to victims, and much more.

Recent legislative actions fall into four categories:

(1) penalty provisions catagory

Abolition of Child Commerce, Exploitation and Sexual Slavery Act of 2011 – Enacted July 11, 2011

This act requires individuals convicted of procuring sexual services from a minor prostitute to pay an additional fine (up to $25,000) to fund programs for sexually exploited children.

Assembly Bill 17 Amendments to the California Control of Profits of Organized Crime Act – Enacted October 11, 2009

Increases the maximum amount of additional authorized fines to $20,000 for any person convicted of procuring a child under 16 years of age.

(2) in the asset forfeiture category;

Senate Bill 1133 – Enacted September 24, 2012        

Expands the scope of property subject to forfeiture in human trafficking cases and provides a formula to redirect those resources to community groups that aid victims of human trafficking. 

Assembly Bill 90– Enacted October 4, 2011    

   Expands the definition of criminal profiteering to include abduction or procurement by fraudulent inducement for prostitution.                                   

(one more law in that category.)

(3) civil nuisance catagory

Assembly Bill 2212– Enacted September 7, 2012  

Expands red light abatement law to include instances of human trafficking.       

Senate Bill 677 – Enacted September 30, 2010                      

Authorizes real property used to facilitate acts of human trafficking to be declared and treated as a nuisance, allowing the property to be seized.

(4) Victim Resources Catagory

Assembly Bill 1956 – Enacted September 29, 2012 

Expands the California Voluntary Tattoo Removal Program to serve individuals, between 14 and 24, who were tattooed for identification in human trafficking or prostitution.        

Senate Bill 1193 – Enacted September 24, 2012 

Requires businesses, transit hubs, and other locations that are most likely sites of sex and labor trafficking to post notices publicizing human trafficking resources.                                                                                                      And there are three more laws in that category as well.

For police training…

The Human Trafficking Collaboration and Training Act– Enacted January 1, 2006

This act required the Commission on “POST” (Peace Officer Standards and Training) to establish a training course and guidelines for law enforcement in responding to human trafficking. POST produced a 2-hour training DVD and curriculum and recently updated it for distribution to all California law enforcement agencies.

The number of federal prosecutions against traffickers has increased significantly since the passage of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 – allowing the federal government to better prosecute traffickers and protect victims. Though trafficking is extremely illegal the fact that people’s freedom is being taken from them is the biggest problem our citizens face. Violating a human’s right to live is by far the worst part about human trafficking and makes us all feel that even though we have the government and we are “protected” no body is safe in this world.