Governor Colyer Signs SB 281 Adding a Protection Against Human Trafficking to Kansas Law
Governor Jeff Colyer today signed SB 281 which amends the Protection from Stalking or Sexual Assault Act to include victims of human trafficking. The Act will now be called the Protection from Stalking, Sexual Assault, or Human Trafficking Act.
When a minor child is alleged to be a human trafficking victim, the bill allows the following individuals to seek relief on the minor’s behalf: a parent of the minor child, an adult residing with the minor child, the child’s court-appointed legal custodian or court-appointed legal guardian, a county or district attorney, or the Attorney General. Additionally, the bill allows the child’s court-appointed legal custodian or court-appointed legal guardian to seek relief on behalf of a minor child under the Protection from Abuse Act and the Protection from Stalking, Sexual Assault, or Human Trafficking Act.
“For some, life as a victim of human trafficking is a daily reality,” said Governor Jeff Colyer. “We have an obligation to the victims of this terrible evil to strengthen laws aimed at preventing trafficking and take meaningful steps to end this horrible practice once and for all. I applaud the legislature’s work on this bill, and hope it will be just one piece of a larger effort to help eliminate trafficking in the state of Kansas.”
Barry Feaker, Executive Director of Freedom Now USA said, “Laws that continue to strengthen our ability to protect victims of human trafficking are a win for all Kansas citizens. Freedom Now USA thanks our legislators for their historical decision to be the first state in the nation to declare war on human trafficking, which is modern-day slavery. Continuing to prioritize the fight against human trafficking will significantly contribute to the eventual eradication of slavery from our state.”
The bill also allows a court to enter an order restraining the defendant from following, harassing, telephoning, contacting, recruiting, harboring, transporting, or committing or attempting to commit human trafficking upon the human trafficking victim or otherwise communicating with the human trafficking victim.
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