Human trafficking bill moves through Missouri House of Representatives

A bill designed to help human trafficking survivors was approved in a legislative committee Monday.

House Bill 261 would require certain businesses like hotels and gas stations to display a poster with information survivors can use to get help.

“I believe that this will actually save lives because so many of these victims of human trafficking don’t have any way to get out,” Rep. Cloria Brown, R-St. Louis, told ABC 17 News. “We call it modern day slavery.”

The poster would be placed in a recognizable place and display three key items: the national human trafficking hotline number, a number survivors can text and a website they can access for more information.

“If it just helps one person who sees this telephone number and because of that, they call and they get out of this terrible situation, then it’s been worth it,” Brown said.

Brown said now that the bill has made it through the committee, it will be assigned a date on the calendar to be heard by the House. If approved there, it will head to the Senate.

The bill has not been met with opposition.