AUSTIN, Texas (ABP) — Texas has become the first state in the nation to provide assistance to domestic human trafficking victims with a landmark law that Gov. Rick Perry (R) signed into law Aug. 20.
Among the groups that helped shepherd the bipartisan bill through the Lone Star State's legislature was the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission.
Human-trafficking victims account for 74 percent of the sex-trade market, according to statistics provided by the commission. The State Department reports nearly 20 percent of the nation’s human-trafficking victims come through Texas. Houston and El Paso recently were named major trafficking hubs.
Suzii Paynter (4th from right), director of the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission, looks on as Gov. Rick Perry signs into law a bill to provide assistance to domestic human trafficking victims.
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“Most people think human trafficking happens elsewhere in places like Thailand and Cambodia, but the reality is that it is happening in our own backyard,” said state Rep. Randy Weber (R-Pearland), who authored the legislation that also was sponsored by Sen. Leticia Van de Putte (D-San Antonio). “In fact, the vast majority of the victims identified within Texas are actually our own citizens.”
The bill establishes a statewide Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force in the attorney general’s office, creates a human trafficking training component for law-enforcement officers, starts a program to connect services to trafficking victims and begins a grant program for groups that provide assistance to domestic trafficking victims.
“The task force created by this bill will focus state efforts on ending this criminal activity that primarily targets women and children,” Perry said. “Human trafficking is a serious problem, and this legislation sends a message to those who would profit from exploiting others in this fashion: Texas won’t stand for it.”
The Christian Life Commission was one of a number of community and faith-based groups who backed the legislation. Human trafficking was one of the issues that was highlighted and discussed during the commission's statewide conference earlier this year.
“The bill signing today sends an important message: ‘human beings are not for sale in Texas,’” commission director Suzii Paynter said. “Passage of this legislation is the result of the cooperative efforts of advocates, agencies and bipartisan leaders to improve prevention and prosecution of modern-day slavery.
“We applaud the efforts of Attorney General Greg Abbott and his staff, who have provided a blueprint for action. The Christian Life Commission has worked to bring awareness and cooperation for this issue through legislative work and congregational education, including a presentation at the CLC Conference by Sen. Van De Putte, a major author of human-trafficking legislation. Sadly, the job is not done. The taskforce created by this legislation will continue taking steps to end human trafficking in Texas.”
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John Hall writes for the Baptist General Convention of Texas.