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Florida Legislators Bring Forth Bills to Combat Human Trafficking
Florida is third in the nation for reported cases of human trafficking. Often referred to as modern day slavery, human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act. Frequently, homeless youth, victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, war or conflict, or social discrimination are targeted by traffickers.
For many, human trafficking is something that only happens on the news, but the grim reality is a staggering 20.9 million people are estimated to be trafficked around the world at any given time. Roughly 55–60% of those victims are women.
In an effort to combat human trafficking, the Florida legislature is tackling the issue head on with a few notable bills. The first, HB 259, known as the Comprehensive Healthy Education bill, would add education on human trafficking to the health education curriculum in public schools. On Monday, HB 259 passed unanimously by the House PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee, and will now move on to the House Education Committee. Those in favor of adding human trafficking education to Florida’s public school curriculum explain that it will help children learn the signs of dangers that are in their neighborhoods and in their schools.
