Though typically seen as a global issue, human trafficking is a crime that hits surprisingly close to home — so close that state legislators are taking official action to prevent it in Louisiana.
In a recent effort to address the issue of human trafficking, the state legislature is considering a bill that would require “sexually oriented businesses” to verify the ages and work statuses of their employees.
House Bill No. 651, authored by Rep. Valarie Hodges, R-East Baton Rouge and Livingston, would create a Human Trafficking Prevention Act and require employers of sexually oriented businesses to conduct a questionnaire with potential employees to verify their ages and work statuses.
According to the legislation, a sexually oriented business includes adult arcades; adult book, novelty or video game stores; adult cabarets; gentleman’s clubs, go-go clubs or strip bars; adult motel or adult hotel; adult motion picture theaters or adult theaters; escort or escort agencies; massage parlors, nude model studios and sexual encounter centers.
The bill is currently awaiting approval from House Labor and Industrial Relations.
According to a 2008 report by Shared Hope International, a nonprofit that works for the eradication of sex trafficking, more than 100 minors were identified as victims of sex trafficking between 2006 and 2008 in the Baton Rouge and New Orleans metro areas.
Tigers Against Trafficking president Bridget Savoie said the bill is a necessary step forward.
“Just the fact that legislation to address human trafficking is beginning to come up is a huge win for us,” Savoie said.
Savoie said she hopes as awareness of human trafficking increases, so does action to eradicate it.
“This bill is going to have a positive impact on the treatment of young trafficking victims. Instead of being treated as criminals or delinquents this bill ensures that minors are treated as victims and given the care they need,” Savoie said in an email.
Operators of sexually oriented businesses must conduct an interview with potential employees from a questionnaire that will be provided from the Louisiana Workforce Commission and must retain the answers to this interview.
The questionnaire will include “leading questions to give an indication whether or not a potential employee could be a victim of human trafficking,” according to the legislation.
The bill requires business operators to contact local law enforcement or the Trafficking Information and Referral Hotline if they suspect they have come in contact with a victim of human trafficking.
If business operators do not cooperate, there would be a variety of possible consequences depending on how many offenses that operator has.
A first-time offense would result in a fine of $500 to $1,000 or imprisonment for 30 to 90 days. A second offense would result in a fine between $1,000 and $5,000, and the operator’s occupational license would be suspended for 30 days.
A third offense would result in the operator’s occupational license being revoked, banning that individual from operating a sexually oriented business in the state of Louisiana.
