Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has established a Counter Human Trafficking Task Force aimed at providing assistance to local prosecutors looking to crack down on human trafficking. Consisting of various representatives from state government, law enforcement, and victim advocacy groups, the task force is a “force multiplier” for local agents taking on human traffickers and a way to provide training on the issue.
At a press conference held in Springfield on Thursday afternoon, Bailey called on the Missouri General Assembly to codify the task force into law as a way to address human trafficking in the state. “The sooner the legislation is passed, the sooner we can eradicate human trafficking and child trafficking here in Missouri once and for all,” Bailey said.
HB 1706, the bill aiming to establish the task force in state statute, has already received support in the Missouri House of Representatives. Currently, it is awaiting debate on the Senate floor, though it faces a tight deadline to pass this session. The bill also increases the age to 17 for victims’ audio or video recorded testimony to be admitted into evidence and as a qualifying element on enticement of a child offense.
More information can be found here from the Springfield News-Leader.