HAWAII'S 2011 ANTI HUMAN-TRAFFICKING BILLS

From Pacific Alliance to Stop Slavery

Aloha!

The Hawaii legislature has two anti-trafficking bills introduced, one against labor-trafficking and one against sex-trafficking. Hawaii is one of five states left in the nation with no local law whatsoever that adequately addresses the crime of human-trafficking for sex or labor.

Hawaii needs your help in passing these laws.

THE BILLS:

Sex-Trafficking bill is SB959 with its identical House Companion HB576

• Amends the current Promoting Prostitution statues to include a Sex-Trafficking definition of crimes involving forced or child-prostitution.
• Protects child-victims (under 18). You do not have to prove coercion or force, just the age and that prostitution is going on. It also bumps up the crime against children to a Class A felony. (Keep in mind this is very handy as HPD no longer has a Runaways Division, which was our only hope for preventing High-Risk youth victims of HT from becoming trafficked victims).
• Makes being a sex-trafficker a Class A felony as well for adults. (Remember, Sex-Trafficking is NOT willing prostitution on the part of the victim).
• Makes anyone who knowingly and willingly aids and abets a trafficker in victimizing people a Class B felony. (Targets brothel owners, recruiters, those who doctor identification).
• Affords rights and protections to victims of Sex-Trafficking.
• Includes Sex-Trafficking in the definition of Violent Crimes. (This is helpful for getting a high bail set prior to court).
• Includes Sex-Trafficking in the list of crimes applicable to Forfeiture.
• Allows for court order to apply for wire-tapping or interception of electronic communication of Traffickers.
• Includes Sex-Trafficking in Organized Crime, Sexual Offenses, and Racketeering definitions

   

Labor-Trafficking bill is SB960 with its identical House Companion HB577

• Establishes class A and B felony labor trafficking offenses, a nonpayment of wages offense, and an unlawful conduct with respect to documents offense.
• Establishes provisions related to prosecution of the offenses.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Please ask your members to call or email the legislators below and to KINDLY and RESPECTFULLY urge them to support the Anti Sex-Trafficking bill in the Legislative Women's Caucus [for SENATE: SB959 (sex-trafficking) and SB960 (labor-trafficking); for HOUSE HB576 (sex-trafficking) and HB577 (labor-trafficking)].

Their contact info is below. Thank you!

KEY SENATE MEMBERS:

• Sen. Clayton Hee – Chair of Senate Judiciary Committee -- http://capitol.hawaii.gov/session2011/members/senate/memberpage.aspx?member=hee
• Sen. Shan Tsutsui – President of the Senate -- http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2011/Members/senate/memberpage.aspx?member=tsutsui

KEY HOUSE MEMBERS:

• Rep. Gilbert Keith-Agaran – Chair of House Judiciary Committee -- http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2011/members/house/memberpage.aspx?member=keithagaran
• Rep. John Mizuno – Chair of House Human Services Committee -- http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2011/HouseCommittees/committeepage.aspx?committee=HUS
• Rep. Karl Rhoads – Chair of House Labor & Public Employment Committee -- http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2011/HouseCommittees/committeepage.aspx?committee=LAB
• Rep. Calvin Say – House Speaker -- http://capitol.hawaii.gov/session2011/Members/House/memberpage.aspx?member=say

SUBMITTING TESTIMONY:

Please attend the hearing and/or submit testimony to END Human-Trafficking in Hawaii!

Hawaii is 1 of 5 states left with no local law defining either sex-trafficking or labor-trafficking, making it all too easy for victims of this modern-day slavery to fall through the cracks of our justice system as they are mistakenly seen as "prostitutes" or "illegal immigrants."

You can help pass Hawaii's first law, a historical event, by supporting HB577 (labor-trafficking).

Hawaii has recently been implicated in a federal investigation of the largest labor-trafficking case in U.S. history involving more than 400 victims. (Global Horizons).

Please submit testimony by Monday morning, February 14th, 2011

If you can attend, please do. We will be there with you standing in support of ending modern-day slavery in Hawaii.

• DATE: Tuesday, February 15, 2011
• TIME: 10:00 a.m.  – 12:00 p.m.
• PLACE: Conference Room 309, State Capitol, 415 South Beretania Street

HOW TO SUBMIT WRITTEN TESTIMONY:

Submit testimony in ONE of the following ways:

• PAPER: 24 copies (including an original) to Room 422 in the State Capitol;
• FAX:       For comments less than 5 pages in length, transmit to 586-6331 (Oahu) or 1-800-535-3859 (for Neighbor Islanders without a computer to submit testimony through e-mail or the Web); or
• E-MAIL: For comments less than 5 pages in length, transmit to LABTestimony@Capitol.hawaii.gov; or
• WEB:     For comments less than 4MB in size, transmit from the Web page at http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/emailtestimony.

TESTIMONY TEMPLATES:

CLICK HERE to download a Sample Template (MS word doc). Yes, you may use this template for your own. Feel free to add your own comments. CLICK HERE FOR PDF version.

THANK YOU!

HEARING NOTICE:

Did you know?