HARRISBURG – The House Judiciary Committee today voted in favor of legislation authored by Rep. Rob Kauffman (R-Franklin), Republican chairman of the committee, that seeks to support human trafficking victims by making is easier for them to bring lawsuits against their offenders.
“The crime of human trafficking continues to grow in Pennsylvania, and we need to revamp our laws to keep pace with the individuals involved in this crime and hold them accountable,” said Kauffman.
The Commonwealth’s comprehensive human trafficking protections include a provision specifically authorizing civil lawsuits to be brought by victims against any person who participates in the human trafficking of the victim, as well as against those who recruit, profit from or maintain the victim in the sex trade, or who abuse or otherwise physically harm victims. Some of those cases may be brought in the county where the victim resides, while others may also be filed in a county where the human trafficking violations occurred.
House Bill 394 (formerly House Bill 1096) would allow all these lawsuits to be brought either where the victim resides or where the violations occurred.
House Bill 394 passed the committee unanimously and now goes before the full House for consideration.
