State Representative Michael Coffey (IL) | Representative Michael J. Coffey, Jr. (R) 95th District
State Representative Michael Coffey (IL) | Representative Michael J. Coffey, Jr. (R) 95th District
Protecting victims of human trafficking is a top priority for Illinois House Republicans during the Spring 2024 Session. The Caucus is fighting this epidemic head-on with a robust bill package that provides protections to individuals who have fallen victim to human trafficking. The legislative package includes bills sponsored by Reps. Jeff Keicher (R-Sycamore), Nicole La Ha (R-Homer Glen), Jennifer Sanalitro (R-Hanover Park), and Brad Stephens (R-Rosemont).
According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, in 2021, there were 243 human trafficking cases reported in Illinois, with 355 victims identified. Human trafficking, defined as a form of modern-day slavery, involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain labor or commercial sex acts from victims of all ages, races, and genders.
Rep. Keicher introduced House Bill 5465, which allows minors in juvenile court to petition for immediate sealing or expungement of their records if the offense was a result of human trafficking. Rep. La Ha sponsored bills such as HB 5466, which removes the defense of mistaken age for offenses related to patronizing a minor engaged in prostitution, and HB 5467, which eliminates the statute of limitations for certain human trafficking prosecutions involving minors.
In support of these initiatives, Rep. Mike Coffey stated, "Victims of human trafficking are vulnerable to committing involuntary crimes and should be protected from criminal charges. I support my colleague’s legislation to protect victims held against their will."
Other bills introduced by Illinois House Republicans include measures to create defenses for trafficking victims who commit crimes due to their situation, provide orders of protection against traffickers, and ensure buyers are held accountable as sex trafficking offenders.
These legislative efforts come in response to a 2023 report card on Child and Youth Sex Trafficking from Shared Hope, which highlighted deficiencies in Illinois' responses to sex trafficking. Illinois received low grades in several key areas, prompting lawmakers to take action based on the report's recommendations.
All the bills proposed by Illinois House Republicans were drafted based on recommendations in the Shared Hope International Report Card.
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