American Bar Association President Laurel G. Bellows underscored the importance of last week’s passage of a uniform state law against human trafficking by the Uniform Law Commission. The law will now be taken to the ABA House of Delegates for a vote to become ABA policy at the Annual Meeting on August 12.
“The ULC did a difficult job in record time because they knew that every minute saved was a life saved,” Bellows said. “This law will protect victims of trafficking who are coerced under threat of violence to themselves or their families.”
The ULC worked with the ABA Task Force on Human Trafficking to develop the uniform state law. The task force was formed nearly one year ago with the goal of mobilizing lawyers and ABA resources to fight human trafficking. If approved by the ABA House of Delegates, this law will go to the legislature of every state for adoption. As a result of this adoption, every state will have a law criminalizing coerced labor and coerced sex.
“This is a proud moment in the legislative history of the United States and sends a strong message to those who capture and misuse thousands of men, women and children in our country with impunity,” Bellows said.