In the midst of a surging human trafficking epidemic, NTZ No Trafficking Zone is celebrating the news of HB 3554 being passed by both the Texas House and Senate, and signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott just months ago.
Since HB 3554, NTZ has held several events to spread the word about this important development.
“The law protects children and youth in Residential Treatment Centers, homeless youth shelters, juvenile detention centers, foster care facilities, daycare centers and other locations where human traffickers prey on society’s most vulnerable children,” read an NTZ statement.
According to the National Foster Youth Institute, 60% of all child victims of human trafficking nationwide have a history in the child welfare system, many of them found during raids on sex trafficking rings across the country.
“Our nation must implement systems and laws that protect our most vulnerable children,” said NTZ CEO Jacquelyn Aluotto, who is based in Houston, the city considered a national hotspot for human traffickers. Thus, the work continues.
NTZ, in partnership with Children at Risk, Uber and state and city officials recently hosted a press conference announcing their support of HB 2313, a first-of-its-kind bill that would require Transportation Network Companies (TNC) to provide human trafficking training materials to their drivers regarding awareness and how to report such instances of trafficking.
In recent reports, TNC drivers have unwittingly transported human trafficking victims in the course of their cross-country driving. HB 2313-initiated reports could help law enforcement in identifying victims and preventing further harm.
