HARRISBURG – Recognizing human trafficking as one of the fastest growing crimes in the nation, the PA House approved a bill that would direct higher education institutions to provide exploitation prevention and education programs to their students. House Bill 538 would allow these institutions to partner with nonprofit organizations to provide first-year students with an opportunity to attend a series of in-depth prevention and education programs regarding sex trafficking and exploitation. Program materials would be provided at no cost to students. Under the bill, students would learn about federal and state laws relating to human trafficking, facts and statistics about the crime, methods used to coerce victims, risk factors that make an individual more vulnerable to human trafficking, and how to identify victims and what to do to help them. The bill is awaiting PA Senate consideration.
