Cris Dush

HARRISBURG — Sen. Cris Dush (R-25) recently announced the formation and legislative priorities of the Pennsylvania Anti-Human Trafficking (PA AHT) Caucus, a bipartisan, bicameral group in the state legislature.

The mission of the caucus is to facilitate the passage of anti-human trafficking legislation; educate elected officials, partnering organizations and the public on anti-human trafficking issues; and advocate on behalf of anti-human trafficking organizations, legislators said.

“Trafficking a person, especially a child, is a disgusting evil. Unfortunately, it is an evil that’s quickly growing into the number one criminal enterprise in the world; and it’s happening in our very own communities. We need to move quickly to pass the necessary legislation to facilitate the rescue and restoration of victims,” said Dush, caucus chairman. “This group of eight tremendous and innovative legislators have formed this caucus with the goal of speeding up passage of impactful legislation through evaluating and making bipartisan and bicameral recommendations to each of the four sets of leadership in the General Assembly and the governor.”

Along with Dush, the caucus is co-chaired by Sen. Maria Collett (D-12), Sen. Marty Flynn (D-22), Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-28), Rep. Danilo Burgos (D-197), Rep. Kate Klunk (R-169), Rep. Clint Owlett (R-68) and Rep. Regina G. Young (D-185).

“Every one of us deserves to live safe, healthy and dignified lives,” said Sen. Collett. “This new caucus will allow us to build on the progress we’ve made in advancing bipartisan anti-human trafficking legislation, strengthen partnerships with key stakeholders and send a strong message to the people of Pennsylvania: we are not backing down.”

Specific anti-human trafficking legislation unanimously endorsed by the Anti-Human Trafficking Caucus steering committee includes:

– Senate Bill 45: Supported by the state Office of Attorney General, this legislation would move most prostitution-related offenses, such as patronizing prostitutes and promoting prostitution, to the Human Trafficking section of the state Crimes Code. The bill also expands the jurisdiction of the Attorney General’s office to better enable them to fight human trafficking across the commonwealth.

– House Bill 910: This legislation would upgrade the offense of trafficking infants from a first-degree misdemeanor to a first-degree felony.

“Today, we’re taking a step forward — not as Democrats or Republicans — but as public servants united by a common goal,” said Rep. Burgos. “Human trafficking is a reality. It’s happening here in Pennsylvania. Statistics from the National Human Trafficking Hotline consistently rank Pennsylvania among the top states for reported cases.”

“Human trafficking is one of the most difficult issues we face because it often stays hidden. That reality calls for a more coordinated response,” said Sen. Flynn. “This caucus is focused on improving how we identify cases earlier and making sure victims have support when they come forward. It also means taking a closer look at how our laws are applied and where we can do better. This is ongoing work, and it requires people on both sides of the aisle to stay engaged if we’re going to hold traffickers accountable.”

The PA AHT Caucus also expressed gratitude to the following anti-human trafficking-focused organizations that are supporting the formation of this Caucus: The Asservo Project, Bloom, Greenlight Operation, Laurel House, Mission Kids, Montgomery County Women’s Center, Taylor Diversion Program, ZOE International and Zonta.

“Pennsylvania ranks among the top 10 states in the nation for human trafficking. This is a sad, disturbing reality our caucus knows we must address,” said Rep. Klunk. “That is why we’re working together to raise awareness and advocate for legislative action to combat human trafficking. A single victim of this heinous crime is too many. We are ready to collaborate with stakeholders, victims and fellow legislators to make a lasting impact for our commonwealth.”

“One of the keys to stopping human trafficking is public education and awareness. I saw the value of this firsthand when a grandmother who attended one of my local human trafficking seminars last year told me many weeks later the information she gathered there saved her granddaughter’s life,” Rep. Owlett said. “I am excited about the opportunity this caucus will present to educate all Pennsylvanians so we can help protect our kids and put these despicable criminals out of ‘business.'”

“Since I’ve been a legislator, I’ve been working to end human trafficking. It’s an unfortunate evil that lurks in our region because of easy access to interstate and international transportation hubs,” said Rep. Young. “The heartfelt testimony we have heard confirms the need to train hotel, motel and other lodging employees to be aware of the warning signs and report it. We can end human trafficking through education and speaking up for these most vulnerable victims.”

Human trafficking is real-time, organized crime — exploiting and enslaving millions of women and children and illegally generating more than $150 billion worldwide every year, the legislators said in a press release announcing the group’s formation.

“Human trafficking has no place in Pennsylvania. We have made real strides, but there is still so much work to be done,” said Sen. Phillips-Hill. “I hope our colleagues will continue to join us in this bipartisan fight to protect victims, hold traffickers accountable and strengthen our laws.”

“Being aware of the statistics and horrors of human trafficking is useless without taking serious legislative action,” Dush added. “As a retired law enforcement officer and member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I was proud to play an instrumental role in securing more than $2 million over the last two budget cycles to establish and expand the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Section. With today’s official launch of the bipartisan, bicameral Pennsylvania Anti-Human Trafficking Caucus, I am greatly looking forward to working together collaboratively and shepherding even more high-priority anti-human trafficking initiatives across the finish line.”

Through force, fraud and coercion, human traffickers push their victims into demeaning forms of abuse, including domestic servitude and commercial sexual exploitation, the release said. If you suspect someone is being trafficked, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.