Senator Bruce Starr

Oregon State Capitol

900 Court Street NE, S-411

Salem, Oregon 97301

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                CONTACT:  Laura Jannsen

April 27, 2009                                                                                                                  503.986.1715

 Bill protecting victims of human trafficking passes

Senate Committee

Trio of bills introduced by Starr begin to combat human trafficking

Cornelius, OR — The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously passed out a bill Monday morning which will help provide safety, privacy and dignity to victims of human trafficking.  Senate Bill 839 would allow victims of human trafficking to make all public records of their addresses confidential through the Address Confidentiality Program.

“This bill is a simple way to protect the privacy and dignity of human trafficking victims,” said Senator Bruce Starr (R-Hillsboro), the sponsor of the bill.  “But it is also an important statement about standing up for the abused and exploited, and starting to be a stronger voice against the practice of human trafficking both here and around the world.” 

Human trafficking is one of the fastest growing criminal industries in the world.  Some estimates place the number of people trafficked around the world every year at more than 1.2 million lives.  In some places, a slave can be purchased for as little as $90. 

This issue isn’t limited to countries outside of the United States.  The U. S. government believes that 17,500 people are trafficked into the United States each year.  Washington is a major port of entry for human traffickers.

 “Many think that human trafficking was an important moral issue of the last century, but is seldom practiced today,” said Starr.  “But the truth is that hundreds of thousands of women and children are sold for labor or the sex trade every year.  It’s time we stood up and started defending these individuals who desperately need a defender and a champion.”

Starr has worked with the local organizations Compassion First, Tronie Foundation, Transitions Global, Scarlet Cord, and Shared Hope International to draft two additional bills relating to the fight against human trafficking.  SB 840 would create a 17 member volunteer task force on human trafficking to measure and evaluate the progress of the state in preventing human trafficking and to study the models utilized in other states.  They would make recommendations to the legislature on how to provide a coordinated system to combat trafficking and support its victims. 

SB 842 would require that free legal services be provided for victims of sexual assault, domestic violence and human trafficking. 

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