Co-Sponsorship Memo Details

Human trafficking may be hidden in the shadows, but it remains a vile and dangerous threat in our Commonwealth. Human trafficking harms everyone - adults and children of all ages and demographics, the most common victims are women and children.  In 2018, 1 in 7 children that were reported missing were child sex trafficking victims.  The average age a child is forced into sex slavery is 12 years old with the average life expectancy of a trafficking victim being just 7 years.

For this reason, in the near future, I intend to introduce a bill that will amend Pennsylvania’s child custody statute to require that a court consider whether a party or member of that party’s household has been convicted of human trafficking prior to awarding child custody to that party.  Currently, the statute requires this kind of special attention for violent offenses such as homicide, sex offenses and kidnapping.  This bill will add both human trafficking and strangulation to this list of offenses. 

Please consider joining me in cosponsoring this important legislation.

Previous cosponsors:
SCHROEDER, MIHALEK, MUSTELLO, GAYDOS, BERNSTINE, CIRESI, EVERETT, FEE, GROVE, HEFFLEY, JOZWIAK, OWLETT, PICKETT, RYAN, STAATS, TOPPER, GLEIM, SAYLOR, THOMAS, DELOZIER, STRUZZI, ZIMMERMAN, POLINCHOCK AND DeLUCA