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In the fight against slavery, a great need are stronger laws to prosecute those who commit human trafficking crimes and protect victims. Currently
California Against Slavery, a non-profit grassroots looking to strengthen anti-human trafficking laws in California, is working on initiative to pass such kaws.
They are currently launching a signature campaign to place an initiative on the 2012. Visit WWW.CaliforniaAgainstSlavery.org for more details or leave questions at their Fremont office (510)473-7283.

CAS will have a training for those interested in helping gain signatures for their initiative in Visalia:

“CASE Act Initiative – Stronger anti-human trafficking laws for CA.” Training for CAS Volunteer Petition Circulator
Tuesday, November 29th, from 6-8pm
At Community Service Employment Training (CSET)
312 N. W. 3rd Ave. Visalia, Ca. 93291
The training is being hosted by ACT For Girls and Women Co-Director Erin Garner-Ford

RSVP: Space is limited. *$10 fee includes T-shirt & campaign materials*
Email: @yahoo.com
Phone: 559.738.8037

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So we have many bills currently proposed in the state legislature. (see our previous post)
However, even if these pass, there are still needs to be addressed that are not in the current law. One major need is for the state law to reflect the federal definition of human trafficking of minors in prosecution of perpetrators of such a crime. In order to prove that a suspect is guilty of sex trafficking of an adult, it must be proven that there was force, fraud, or coercion involved. However, any juvenile who is being sold for sex is a sex trafficking victim, regardless if force, fraud, or coercion was used, according to the federal definition of human trafficking. As of yet, though, California state law requires that force, fraud, or coercion be proven for all human trafficking cases, including those involving juvenile victim. (Fortunately, California has one of the highest ratings for key Human Trafficking provisions, granted by Polaris Project)
California Against Slavery is working to get an initiative on the 2012 California ballot.
According to the group, this ballot initiative would strengthen California’s human trafficking laws by:
Increasing penalty for human trafficking from the current 8-year maximum in prison to a maximum of life in prison and fines up to $500,000
Protecting minors by allowing prosecutors to prove sex trafficking of a minor without a showing of force
Mandating human trafficking training for law enforcement officers.

To get the initiative on the ballot, they need to get 700,000 signatures and raise $1 million.
CAS has a list of their needs and volunteer opportunities on their website at http://californiaagainstslavery.org/get-involved/

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Legislative Options to Fight Human Trafficking

Welcome, friends!
It’s been a busy year so far, and we are happy to start launching our blog updates.
You ask, How can I get involved?
One of many ways is to contact your representatives and ask them to support efforts to end human trafficking.
Contact your council members, mayors, state and national congressional representatives. Tell them about human trafficking, see what they know and what they are doing, and encourage them to take steps to respond to human trafficking in their area of influence.
We in Fresno are blessed to have an active partnership with one of our councilmen, whose district happens to include several major tracks of commercial sexual exploitation/ sex trafficking. He has been invited and has sent his assistant to several of our events and he is learning much.

In California, we have at least seven bills in the legislature related to efforts to end human trafficking. Read up on the bills. Contact your representative and share your passion to end human trafficking and ask them for their support concerning the bills you support.

A summary of the current proposed bills:
AB 12: Abolition of Child Commerce, Exploitation, and Sexual Slavery Act of 2011. It would require that
a person who is convicted of a crime involving substantial sexual
conduct, as defined, with a victim who is under 16 years of age, or
who seeks to procure or procures the sexual services of a prostitute,
if the prostitute is a minor who is under 16 years of age, be
ordered to pay an additional fine of $25,000 to be deposited in the
Victim-Witness Assistance Fund to be available for appropriation in
the same manner as specified above. The current fine is $5,000.
http://e-lobbyist.com/gaits/text/74652.

AB 90: This bill would also expand the scope of the offense of human
trafficking to provide that any person who causes, induces,
encourages, or persuades a person under 18 years of age to engage in
a commercial sex act, as defined, with the intent to effect or
maintain specified felonies is guilty of human trafficking.
California Against Slavery is trying to get an initiative on the 2012 ballot.
See http://e-lobbyist.com/gaits/text/236043

AB918: This bill amends a 2000 law to punish gang related activity to add pimping, pandering, and human trafficking as offenses that may be used to establish a pattern of criminal gang activity punishable by law.
See http://e-lobbyist.com/gaits/text/227527

SB 557: proposes development and authorization for a city, county, or city and county to establish a multi-agency, multidisciplinary family justice center to assist victims of domestic violence, officer-involved domestic violence, sexual assault, elder abuse, stalking,
cyberstalking, cyberbullying, and human trafficking, to ensure
that victims of abuse are able to access all needed services in one
location and to enhance victim safety, increase offender
accountability, and improve access to services for victims of crime,
as provided. The bill would permit the family justice centers to be
staffed by law enforcement, medical, social service, and child
welfare personnel, among others.
http://e-lobbyist.com/gaits/text/275825.
AB 764: This bill would allow an individual taxpayer to designate on the
tax return, that a specified amount in excess of the tax liability be
transferred to the Victim-Witness Assistance Fund and that all moneys contributed to the fund be allocated for community-based
organizations that serve minor victims of human trafficking.
http://e-lobbyist.com/gaits/text/243719

SB 123: California Runaway, Homeless, and
Exploited Youth Act would require, subject to the availability of adequate resources, the California Emergency Management Agency to develop , in collaboration with the Senate Office of Research and various interested parties, a statewide plan for runaway, homeless, and exploited youth, as specified.
http://e-lobbyist.com/gaits/text/232988

AB 1188: Amends the Victim’s Bill of Rights Act to include, within the definition of a violent felony, crimes related to the willful harm or injury to a child, assault resulting in death of a child under 8 years of age, and cruel or inhuman corporal punishment of a child, as specified. The bill would include, within the definition of serious felony, the crimes
noted above as well as human trafficking and luring or transporting a
minor away from the minor’s home without consent.