DeSantis signs four bills to combat human trafficking in Florida
LIGHTHOUSE POINT, Fla. (WPEC) — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed four bills designed to fight human trafficking Tuesday morning.
The bills support victims and empower law enforcement to combat the problem. They moved through Florida's Congress with bipartisan support.
"Human trafficking across this country is a $150 billion illegal enterprise and I'm here to say that Florida, we want to use every resource at our disposal to put human traffickers out of business and in jail," Gov. DeSantis said.
Senate Bill (SB) 7064, Human Trafficking, which supports victims of human trafficking and strengthens penalties for human traffickers by:
- Establishing a civil action for victims of human trafficking against traffickers and allowing victims can recover damages and attorney’s fees from adult entertainment establishments.
- Allowing seized property from a human trafficker to be sold and proceeds to be paid as restitution to victims.
- Requiring adult establishments to verify the identity and ages of all employees and establishing a third-degree felony for owners or operators of adult establishments that do not retain such records.
- Requiring offenders of prostitution, lewdness, or related acts to attend an educational course on the impacts of human trafficking and the negative impacts of commercial sex on people and their communities.
SB 1690, Sexual Exploitation and Human Trafficking, which expands human trafficking awareness programs and increases human trafficking victim support by:
- Cracking down on repeat violators of human trafficking awareness requirements by shortening the cure period for an initial violation from 90 days to 45 days and imposing daily fines for any subsequent violation.
- Requiring residential treatment centers for children to place signs on their premises to warn children about the dangers of human trafficking and to demonstrate avenues for reporting instances of human trafficking.
- Mandating the Statewide Council on Human Trafficking to conduct a study and make recommendations regarding the regulation of adult safe houses, which provide housing and care specifically for survivors of human trafficking.
- Ensuring security measures for safe houses and safe foster homes includes detection of possible trafficking activity, coordination with law enforcement, and emergency response plans to search for absent or missing children.
- Requiring safe houses and foster homes to give kids age-appropriate programming to educate them on the signs and dangers of commercial sexual exploitation and human trafficking, approved by the Department of Children and Families.
- Makes human traffickers eligible for mandatory minimum sentences when they possess or discharge a firearm during the course of their crimes.
- Provides that a petition for human trafficking victim expunction and all pleadings and documents related to the petition are confidential and exempt from public records requirements.
"This is a very strong package of bills. I'm excited to be able to be here to sign these measures into law," said DeSantis. "There's a lot that went on over the last six months in terms of the legislative product that our legislators were able to generate.
I commend them for really doing great work, working very hard, and making sure that the things that we set out to do we are accomplishing," he added.
DeSantis signed the bills at Coastal Community Church at Lighthouse Point. He was joined by Attorney General Ashley Moody, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-District 28, House Speaker Paul Renner, R-District 19, and Department of Children & Families Secretary Shevaun Harris.
Palm Beach County state attorney, Dave Aronberg said he doesn't think these bills will end human trafficking, but he thinks it will help act as a deterrent for these criminals.
It is an advance and I think it's going to hopefully, make Florida the leading state in the country in the fight against human trafficking," said Aronberg.
In recent weeks, the Florida governor has signed numerous bills relating to education, immigration, health care and even crypto currency.
After the event, Passidomo and Renner stuck around and spoke to the media, endorsing Ron DeSantis for President. DeSantis did not announce any plans to make a run for the White House in 2024 during today's event.
The new laws go into effect in July.