NYS Human Trafficking Bills

On September 27, 2023, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a series of bills that will combat human trafficking and assist its victims. 

Bill S.395-Cleare/A.5505-Paulin, directs the New York State Inter-agency Task Force on Human Trafficking to investigate the connection between social media and human trafficking. Often young trafficking victims are ensnared by traffickers who make initial contact with them via social media. This new law will lead to the creation of new strategies and techniques to help frustrate traffickers’ attempts to use social media in this manner.  Pray for us at RRMI as we are create educational material for teens in order to prevent them from being trafficked via social media.

Bill S.5527-Cleare/A.3720-Paulin requires that resources for trafficking victims be posted in restrooms and lactation rooms at facilities owned by the Metropolitan Planning Authority (MTA). Bill S.5827-Cleare/A.4586-Paulin mandates that similar information be posted in lactation rooms at service areas on the New York State Thruway. I have personally already seen these signs in NYS on the backs of the bathroom stall doors at rest stops across the state. We hope and pray that trafficking victims who enter restrooms can obtain lifesaving information and help that is available to them via emergency phone numbers and contact information posted. 

I do not usually align with the position our NY State Governor takes; however, on this one she takes a good step forward for NYS and victims. We still have a long ways to go in NYS to get a better report card in the illegal trafficking industry.