Georgia and Delaware passed laws that bring the states in compliance with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s “No Human Trafficking on Our Roads Act” by creating a lifetime disqualification for a commercial driver’s license if the individual engages in human trafficking while using a motor vehicle.
Human trafficking activities have often been facilitated using commercial trucks and buses. The commercial motor vehicle industry is uniquely positioned to assist in the fight against human trafficking, by detecting and reporting this abhorrent crime. By enforcing a lifetime ban on any commercial motor vehicle driver convicted of human trafficking, this bill will send a strong message and deterrent regarding this behavior.
“Today is an important step forward to ensure a brighter, safer future for Georgia’s children in foster care and bring an end to human trafficking in our state,” said Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, in a statement. “As these bills take the force of law, we are fulfilling an ongoing commitment to enhance our foster care system, achieve positive outcomes for our children, and hold the perpetrators of human trafficking accountable. I am grateful for the hard work done by the General Assembly on this important legislation, and I look forward to continuing to work together to safeguard our children’s futures.”
11,000 cases in 2019
And Delaware Gov. John Carney issued this statement after signing the law, “Sadly, human trafficking is real and can happen in any community. It’s our responsibility to continue to bring it out of the shadows and take action to stop this horrible crime. Thank you to the members of the General Assembly for their unanimous support of this important legislation.”
The law gives both states another tool in fighting crime that predominantly targets women and children. More than 11,000 cases of human trafficking were reported in the United States in 2019, and the number of cases not reported is surely higher, say officials.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Transportation Leaders Against Human Trafficking (TLAHT) launched an initiative comprised of nearly 500 transportation and travel industry stakeholders working jointly to maximize their collective impact in combating human trafficking. To date, TLAHT has engaged with hundreds of organizations from across the transportation industry.
Anyone with information about a human trafficking situation is asked to call the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, text “BeFree” to 233733 or click on “live chat” at humantraffickinghotline.org.
