Colorado! Thank Governor Hickenlooper for signing House Bill 1224 which promotes identification of juvenile sex trafficking victims as victims of abuse and provides access to needed services!
The passage of House Bill 1224 in 2016 helps ensure that commercially sexually exploited children are identified as victims of abuse and neglect. Child sex trafficking victims may not be identified as victims of sexual abuse when the definition does not clearly include sex trafficking. By broadening the definition of “abuse and neglect” in child protection statutes to expressly include this serious form of sexual exploitation, House Bill 1224 will now help child protective services to identify, investigate and intervene in situations of domestic minor sex trafficking and help break the cycle of exploitation. Additionally, House Bill 1224 improves identification of child sex trafficking victims by requiring the implementation of a specialized screening tool.
By clearly defining child sex trafficking as a form of abuse for which services must be provided,
House Bill 1224 ensures that a protective response be available for all child sex trafficking victims through child welfare.
Thank you Governor Hickenlooper for your support of this important legislation!
