Dawn's Place Fall 2015 Newsletter
October 2015
Human Trafficking Legislative Update
Pending Legislation in the State of Pennsylvania
Senate Bill 851
Prime sponsor: Senator Greenleaf
Other participating sponsors: Senators Leach, Dinniman, Teplitz, Fontana, Pileggi, Tartaglione, Costa, Rafferty, Schwank, Yudichak, and Aument
Known as the Pennsylvania Safe Harbor Bill. This bill intends to decriminalize child sex trafficking victims. This bill proposes amendments to Pennsylvania's human trafficking statute, Act 105.
The proposed legislation basics:
- Protects, rather than prosecutes child victims of sexual exploitation
- Imposes a duty on child services agencies to establish adiquate victim services for these children
- Requires police training to identify child victims of sexual exploitation
- Establishes a fund to provide optional services for child victims of sexual exploitation