Human Trafficking Legislation

The State of Texas has among the most incidents of human trafficking in the United States. Estimates of trafficking victims in the US range between 15,000 and 50,000 every year and it is known by experts that Texas accounts for many of these victims. Sadly, many of these trafficking victims are women and girls who are often brutally forced into prostitution. Countless others are also forced into manual labor, often through threats and violence.

Human trafficking is a widespread and horrible problem. The public must become aware of the grievous human rights violations that happen in our state. Law enforcement needs the proper tools to find and prosecute human traffickers. Victims of human trafficking need to be rescued and afforded the proper care that they so desperately need.

I find this issue to be of great importance and have proposed legislation that will address the problem in many ways. I have filed House Bills 3370, 3371, 3372, 3373, 3374, and 3377 which will implement a broad approach to the problem. These bills propose laws that will help law enforcement combat human trafficking and will also help in finding and helping trafficking victims. I know that with responsible policy and the right amount of focus, human trafficking can be effectively fought in Texas.