HARRISBURG – Sen. Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery/Delaware) has issued the following statement after Senate Bill 75, critical anti-human trafficking legislation, was unanimously approved by both the House and Senate this week.
“I would like to thank the Pennsylvania Anti-Human Trafficking Advocacy Work Group and the General Assembly on passage of Senate Bill 75, as a result of last night’s concurrence vote by the Senate,” Leach said.
“Currently, Pennsylvania is one of only two states in the country, the other being Colorado, that lacks a comprehensive legal definition of human trafficking. Senate Bill 75 will address this critical need, strengthen protections for victims of human trafficking, and ensure that the perpetrators of this horrific crime are brought to justice. The General Assembly’s passage of Senate Bill 75 is a huge step forward for Pennsylvania. We look forward to the governor signing the bill into law.”
Once the governor signs this legislation, Pennsylvania will join 32 other states in a ‘Tier 1’ grouping based on Polaris Project’s policy program, the premier source of human trafficking policy initiatives and expertise in the United States.
The Pennsylvania Anti-Human Trafficking Advocacy Work Group is an initiative of Pennsylvania’s community-based anti-trafficking coalitions, task forces, and networks and state and national organizational partners.