Bill Text: CA ACR20 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Assembly Concurrent Resolution 20 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Human trafficking.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 13-2)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-02-09 - From printer. [ACR20 Detail]

Download: California-2017-ACR20-Introduced.html

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Concurrent Resolution

No. 20

Introduced by Assembly Member Dahle
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Baker, Chávez, Gallagher, Eduardo Garcia, Harper, Lackey, Mathis, McCarty, Voepel, and Waldron)
(Coauthors: Senators Anderson, Bates, Morrell, and Wilk)

February 08, 2017

Relative to human trafficking.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

ACR 20, as introduced, Dahle. Human trafficking.

This resolution would recognize the month of January 2017 as Human Trafficking Prevention Month in California.

Fiscal Committee: NO

WHEREAS, President Barack Obama declared January 2017 to be National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, culminating in National Freedom Day on February 1, 2017; and

WHEREAS, President Barack Obama called “upon businesses, national and community organizations, families, and all Americans to recognize the vital role we must play in ending all forms of slavery”; and

WHEREAS, Our nation was founded upon the principle of freedom, and we affirmed this principle with ratification of the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution that guaranteed people within our borders protection from slavery; and

WHEREAS, Americans are committed to individual freedom and will do all they can to help eliminate modern day slavery, which includes human trafficking, early and forced marriage, forced labor, bonded labor, and slavery by descent; and

WHEREAS, Beyond all differences of race, creed, or political persuasion, Americans are one people who must face national threats together, and while they now live with a heightened awareness of human trafficking and other forms of modern day slavery, they refuse to allow them to continue; and

WHEREAS, Human trafficking can occur in many forms. Sexual slavery, involuntary domestic servitude, and child soldiering are just a few of the abuses that men, women, and children are subjected to; and

WHEREAS, The United States Department of State’s “Trafficking in Persons Report 2010” includes the United States in its rankings for the first time in the report’s history, and showed the United States as a growing magnet for traffickers to conduct their illegal and inhumane business; and

WHEREAS, The Polaris Project estimated that more than 5,500 men, women, and children are trafficked into the United States every year; and

WHEREAS, California is a primary destination for human trafficking, along with other states including New York, Texas, and Nevada; and

WHEREAS, California’s unique geography makes it a particularly vulnerable location for human trafficking because of its extensive international border, numerous ports and airports, and overall large economy; and

WHEREAS, Apart from the harm that this crime causes its victims, secondary consequences of human trafficking can severely affect California communities. The link between human trafficking and other criminal activities includes, but is not limited to, human smuggling, drug trafficking, money laundering, and organized crime, and it increases the potential for other violent crime. The United States Department of State reports that the impact of human trafficking on surrounding communities includes increased crime and gang activity, child exploitation, public health problems, and depressed wages; and

WHEREAS, The Legislature recognizes the vital role California can play in preventing and one day ending modern slavery; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature condemns the practices of human trafficking and is committed to developing tools and policies to combat human trafficking in California; and be it further

Resolved, That the Legislature recognizes that human trafficking is a year-round problem requiring public awareness and focused determination, and calls upon all Californians to follow President Obama’s charge to “educate themselves about all forms of modern slavery and the signs and consequences of human trafficking”; and be it further

Resolved, That the Legislature declares January 2017 as Human Trafficking Prevention Month in California; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.