Please join the NAHT in thanking our legislators and Governor for passage of outstanding human trafficking legislation during this session. In addition to passing excellent, protective legislation, the legislature invited the NAHT and other groups to provide a training session on human trafficking in Iowa in February. Sixty of our legislators attended this session, which was hosted by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Presenters included our Commissioner on Public Safety, Roxanne Ryan; the leader of the Iowa Office of the Attorney General’s initiative on human trafficking, Michael Ferjak; the founder of Braking Traffik, former Senator Maggie Tinsman, as well as their Executive Director, Cathy OKeeffe; and the Executive Director of the NAHT, Teresa Downing-Matibag.
(L to R) Dr. George Belitsos, founder of Youth and Shelter Services, Inc., of Iowa and NAHT Board Chair; Teresa Downing-Matibag, Executive Director of NAHT; former Senator Maggie Tinsman and founder of Braking Traffik; Ruth Buckels, statewide director of the Achieving Maximum Potential foster care youth leadership program with YSS; Governor Branstad, Mary O’Conner with Teens Against Human Trafficking
The NAHT is thankful to our legislators for taking time to learn about the issue of human trafficking, in order to make the best-informed policy decisions possible; and we invite you to join us in expressing gratitude to them.
You may find your legislators’ email contact information here: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/find
Bills
The following bills have been (or will soon be) signed by Governor Branstad (the text below was adapted from a report by the House Republican caucus):
SF2258 (signed by the Governor, April 6)
Requires that minors under the care of DHS who are believed to be at risk of sex trafficking victimization be identified and referred to services and law enforcement.
An Act concerning child welfare, including provisions relating to children under the custody, control, and supervision of the department of human services and provisions relating to children who are sex trafficking victims…
(c) If the department has reasonable cause to believe that a child under the placement, care, or supervision of the department is, or is at risk of becoming, a sex trafficking victim, the department shall do all of the following:
- Identify the child as a sex trafficking victim or at risk of becoming a sex trafficking victim and include documentation in the child’s department records.
- Refer the child for appropriate services.
- Refer the child identified as a sex trafficking victim, within twenty-four hours, to the appropriate law enforcement agency having jurisdiction to investigate the allegation.
(d) The department shall report a child under the placement, care, or supervision of the department who is reported as missing or abducted to law enforcement and to the national center for missing and exploited children within twenty-four hours of receipt of the report.
SF2191 (Signed by the Governor, April 8)
A capstone bill, Senate File 2191 establishes an office to combat human trafficking in the Department of Public Safety. The office is charged with several tasks including:
- Serving as a point of contact for anti-human trafficking activity in the state by working with other government and nongovernmental agencies, victim protection, and law enforcement
- Developing a strategy to collect and maintain criminal history data on human trafficking crimes
- Seeking additional financial support
- Researching and recommending training to government agencies to identify and respond to human trafficking victims
- Taking other steps necessary to advance the purpose of the office
HF2278 – A bill to extend the statute of limitations for human trafficking and kidnapping victims. Under current law, victims only have three years after the crime is committed for recourse. Under House File 2278, the statute of limitations will be extended to ten years after the victim turns 18.
HF2401 – Prohibits non-custodial adults from applying for credit in minor’s name. Traffickers and abusers sometimes apply for credit cards in a minor’s name for financial gain. Under House File 2401, this practice would be penalized to help fight against these actions.