Senator Maria Collett of Fort Washington announced that the Pennsylvania Senate passed on Tuesday Senate Bill 45 which is intended to enable law enforcement to better target and prosecute prostitution-related human trafficking crimes in Pennsylvania.

Senator Cris Dush is listed as the bill’s primary sponsor, with Collett nine other Senators listed as co-sponsors.

“This legislation is especially important in light of the large, international events our Commonwealth is hosting this year. It now heads to the House for consideration,” Collett said in a post. “As a co-Chair of the bipartisan, bicameral PA Anti-Human Trafficking Caucus, I’m proud of our continued efforts to crack down on trafficking and to help survivors seek the justice they deserve.”

From the announcement:

Events like the FIFA World Cup, the MLB All-Star Game and 250 Anniversary of the United States will attract tens of thousands of fans and visitors from around the country and the world to the Commonwealth. While people enjoy the games and celebrations, it’s important to acknowledge that these events can create an environment vulnerable to human trafficking, especially sex trafficking.

Senate Bill 45 will move certain prostitution related offenses to the Human Trafficking section of Title 18 (Crimes Code) and will increase the penalties for most prostitution offenses related to the traffickers and buyers rather than the victims. By moving these offenses to the Human Trafficking section of the Crimes Code, both the Attorney General’s Office and local law enforcement agencies will have the ability to effectively identify and prosecute individuals who are participating in human trafficking for prostitution purposes and will allow local District Attorneys more freedom to pursue both sets of charges under trafficking and prostitution. 

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