In the past, advocacy groups, including Shared Hope International and the Polaris Project, have given Michigan an “F” for the state’s laws against human trafficking.
But a package of bills introduced this week is intended to extend protections to the victims of sexual exploitation and forced labor trafficking.
The legislation would also increase penalties for those convicted of trafficking and those who exploit its victims.
Advocates say human trafficking is found in places that Michiganders might not suspect, including nail salons, massage parlors, farms and restaurants.
Attorney General Dana Nessel said this legislation would help the victims of human trafficking heal.
“Human trafficking will not disappear overnight. It is entrenched, organized, and fueled by billions of dollars,” Nessel told reporters Wednesday. “But we can make Michigan a far more safe place for victims and a more dangerous place for traffickers to operate.”
The package of bills would:
- Allow survivors of human trafficking to have criminal convictions set aside if those offenses were a direct result of their victimization;
- Provide an affirmative defense for survivors if a crime was committed as a consequence of being trafficked;
- Modify safe harbor protections for minors who are victims of sex and labor trafficking;
- Set criteria for expert testimony in human trafficking cases;
- Replace the term “prostitution” with “commercial sex;"
- Increase fines and sentencing guidelines for violations involving commercial sex and human trafficking;
- Expand protections for children, giving courts and child welfare systems the authority to intervene when a child is trafficked by their parent or guardian; and
- Increase penalties for trafficking offenses.
State Representative Kelly Breen (D-Novi) said the legislation would protect victims, while increasing the punishment meted out to traffickers and others.
“Human trafficking exploits humans for profit. It robs children of their innocence, parents of their peace and neighborhoods of their safety,” said Breen.
In voicing his support for the legislation, State Senator John Damoose (R-Harbor Springs) called human trafficking “a grave moral evil.”
Bill sponsors are hopeful the bipartisan support this legislation has will overcome obstacles that have tripped up previous attempts to strengthen Michigan’s human trafficking laws.
