Legislators: New Law To Combat Human Trafficking

A slew of bills in introduced this week in the state legislature are designed to combat human trafficking.

One of those bills would require strip clubs to post the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline in a conspicuous location within the club.

“For the cost of a poster we can empower both victims and ordinary people alike to make a difference," Del. David Bulova (D-37) stated in a press release.

Bulova, who represents portions of Fairfax Station, and Tim Hugo (R-40th), who represents parts of Clifton, advocated for House Bill 1200 along with Virginia Attorney General Ken Cucinnelli and general assembly colleagues State Senator Adam Ebbin (D-49th), Delegates Vivian Watts (D-39th), and Kaye Kory (D-38th). The bill was introduced on Monday.  

Other bills that will be introduced would require the Department of Education to provide human trafficking training materials for local school divisions, increase penalties for “johns” who solicit commercial sex from minors, and give law enforcement more tools to target criminal gangs involved in sex trafficking.

The U.S. reports $32 billion in total yearly profits generated by the human trafficking industry, according to the Polaris Project, a Washington D.C.-based organization which advocates against human trafficking.

According to the Polaris Project’s website, victims of sex trafficking can be found working in clubs where they are forced to have sex with club patrons.

To report a tip, Virginians are advised to call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 1-888-373-7888.