Last week, Rep. Nicole La Ha spoke at an event about Human Trafficking hosted by the Chicago Bar Association. Following the event, Rep. La Ha released the following statement:
“I was grateful for the opportunity to speak at “Navigating the Legal System to Combat Human Trafficking,” an event put on by the Chicago Bar Association. I spoke on the House Republicans’ Protecting Victims of Human Trafficking Legislative Package, which I am honored to support.
The three bills I’m the primary sponsor of as part of this bill package are the following:
HB 5466: Removes the affirmative defense of mistake of age for the offense of patronizing a minor engaged in prostitution.
HB 5467: Removes the statute of limitations for prosecutions of involuntary servitude, involuntary sexual servitude of a minor, or trafficking in persons and related offenses when the victim is under 18 years of age at the time of the offense.
HB 5134: Includes trafficking in persons, involuntary servitude, and involuntary sexual servitude of a minor in the definition of “sex offense” under the Act.
I’m also proud to support the other bills in this package:
HB 5465: Allows a minor in juvenile court to petition the court for immediate sealing or expungement of their records if the participation in the underlying offense was a direct result of human trafficking.
HB 5468: Creates an affirmative defense for victims of human trafficking who commit an offense as a result of being trafficked. Requires the victim to prove by clear and convincing evidence they are victims of human trafficking.
HB 5469: Creates the Human Trafficking Order of Protection Act to allow victims of human trafficking to obtain orders of protection against their traffickers.
HB 5470: Adds “patronize” to involuntary sexual servitude of a minor in order to ensure buyers are held accountable as sex trafficking offenders.
Thank you, Chicago Bar Association, for allowing me to speak at your event about this critical issue. Human Trafficking is a reality in our communities, and we must join together to put an end to these heinous crimes once and for all.”
Rep. Nicole La Ha proudly serves the people of the 82nd District.
