Bill to Prevent Human Trafficking Signed into Law
Press Release
Yesterday, President Trump signed into law H.R. 1865, the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA) of 2017, to provide law enforcement and the necessary tools to fight websites that facilitate sex trafficking, like Backpage.com, and hold them accountable. U.S. Representative Jeff Denham (R-Turlock) voted in support of this bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.
"Human trafficking is reprehensible and anyone who facilitates these atrocities needs to be held accountable. Websites can't continue to hide behind a loophole in the law while they enable these crimes for their own profit," said Rep. Denham.
"I am encouraged by the creation and passage of this law," said Debbie Johnson, CEO of Without Permission, a local Central Valley non-profit dedicated to fighting human trafficking. "It saddens me it has taken 18 years from the passage of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act to be accomplished though. We must work expediently to write laws that address the crimes our citizens endure daily. Especially the crimes that target children and women for sexual exploitation and abuse. It is my hope that the pimps, purchasers and criminal entrepreneurs will begin to see that this nation is no longer "asleep at the wheel' regarding sex trafficking."
Without Permission is a Modesto-based organization dedicated to fighting human trafficking through education and partnerships with justice system agencies, educators and other service providers to help identify and rescue sex trafficking victims.
H.R. 1865 closes a loophole in the Communications Act of 1934 that has made it difficult to take legal action against websites that knowingly enable human trafficking. The new law will prevent Communications Decency Provisions from serving as a cover for websites benefiting, assisting, supporting, or facilitating sex trafficking, ensuring these websites are held accountable. Additionally, the law enhances penalties for people who promote sex trafficking through reckless disregard and allows victims and state law enforcement officials to take action against individuals and businesses that violate federal sex trafficking laws.
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