New report helps drive human trafficking legislative push
ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10)---The Assembly Minority Conference shared a 50 page report, detailing what they learned from holding forums across the state on the issue of human trafficking.
"We have in this report, 64 bullet point recommendations,"explained Assemblymember Brian Maher. "Over a dozen different bills— some existing and some new, and many more on the way."
One of those bills would eliminate the criminal statute of limitations for sex trafficking and sex trafficking of a child. According to Assemblymember Mary Beth Walsh, it would also extend the criminal statute of limitations for non-violent felonies.
"Sex trafficking and sex trafficking against a child right now is 5 years," said Walsh. "This would align the law with other changes that were made even as recently as a couple of years ago, having to do with the Child Victims Act and other statute of limitations changes that were made."
The Governor’s Executive Budget proposal includes legislation to end the statute of limitations on sex trafficking— something Walsh noted during the press conference.
"But unfortunately, when the one house bills came out, the Assembly rejected that language, and we are just very simply stating that it should be put back in," said Walsh.
The New York State Senate, however, did include the governor’s proposal in its budget priorities.
A final state budget is due next week.