Missouri lawmakers working on bill to protect human trafficking survivors

Tuesday, lawmakers are working on a bill that would protect human trafficking survivors.

Secretary of State Jason Kander along with a group of legislators announced plans to extend access to the Missouri Safe at Home program.

St. Louis is one of the to 20 human trafficking areas in the country, Kander said.

The Safe at Home program gives survivors of sexual assault, rape, stalking and domestic violence a private mailing address to help hide their physical residence from predators.

Now, the lawmakers want to offer human trafficking victims that protection as well.

The secretary of state says when he was a state representative, law enforcement told him one of the biggest problems police faced was not knowing if victims would stay safe.

Since Safe at Home started in 2007, the program has helped protect more than 2,500 people in Missouri. Kander said the program could help countless more if it is extended to human trafficking victims as well.

Katie Rhoades is a human trafficking survivor. She escaped in 2002, but had no resources to protect her.

“Even moving across country, I still felt pretty unsafe,” Rhoades said. “I was pretty convinced that if my pimp wanted to he could find me. And I had a couple of experiences even about a year and a half out, five states away, where it was clear that I had been found. So learning how to live with that level of fear constantly takes a toll.”

Rhoades said having a program like Safe at Home available to her would have helped tremendously.

“I think that if I had access to a confidential address, I would have felt like that I could have focused on my recovery,” Rhoades said. “I would have felt like I didn’t have to look over my shoulder all the time. And you know, I could feel safe finally in my house where you should feel safe.”

Sen. Bob Dixon (R-Springfield), Sen. Gina Walsh (D-Bellefontaine Neighbors), Rep. Kevin Austin (R-Springfield) and Rep. Tracy McCreery (D-Olivette) are working along with Kander to try to get the bill passed.

Rep. McCreery said she has been working on stronger human trafficking laws since Missouri’s first anti-human trafficking law was passed.

“We’ve been working on this issue for at least a decade here in this state,” Rep. McCreery said. “And this program and house bill 368 is just another step in the right direction to help victims recover.”

The current bill was introduced on the senate and house floors earlier this month. Kander said with this team of sponsors, he is confident they can get the bill passed this legislative session.

Four states including North Carolina, Washington, Oregon and Maryland already include human trafficking victims in their address confidentiality programs.