ATLANTA (March 21, 2013) – The State Senate passed House Bill 141 requiring certain establishments to post information on how victims can receive help from the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC). Sen. Renee Unterman (R-Buford) carried HB 141 to passage by a vote of 47-1.
“I am pleased by the favorable passage of House Bill 141 today,” said Sen. Unterman. “This bill will mandate a mandatory posting human trafficking hotline numbers where places of prostitution have been suspected. When children call into a hotline number, they are more apt to receive the help they need and change their lifestyle. The passage of this legislation brings Georgia one step closer to creating a system of care for children involved in sexual trafficking.”
Funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the NHTRC provides victim advocates with up-to-date resources and provides law enforcement, social service providers and community members with the tools needed to facilitate victim identification in their communities.
Notices must be posted in English, Spanish and other appropriate languages according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation in the following establishments:
- Adult entertainment establishments;
- Bars;
- Primary airports;
- Passenger rail or light rail stations;
- Bus stations;
- Truck stops;
- Emergency rooms within general acute care hospitals;
- Urgent care centers;
- Farm labor contractors and day haulers;
- Privately operated job recruitment centers;
- Safety rest areas located along interstate highways in Georgia;
- Hotels; and
- Businesses and establishments that offer massage or bodywork services by a person who is not a massage therapist.
House Bill 141 will now travel to the House of Representatives.
RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
March 21, 2013
For Information Contact:
Jennifer Yarber, Interim Director
Shawna Mercer, Sr. Communications Specialist
Shawna.Mercer@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028