Wisconsin bill will cut down on human trafficking

Bill close to being law, just
needs Gov. Walker signature

Wisconsin lawmakers take a step closer to cutting down on human trafficking.

Both houses of the legislature have passed a bill to increase the punishment of people who exploit children for prostitution or other purposes.

All that’s left is Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker signing off on the measure.

“It has good, broad bipartisan support, so I’m hoping that he will turn it into law,” State Rep. Jill Billings said.

Billings says the bill allows the state to take more action to rehabilitate kids who get caught in trafficking schemes, but the passage of one bill won’t solve the trafficking problem by itself. Billings has plans for future legislation.

“The next session,” Billings explained, “we’ll be coming back and we’ll be asking for things like education … (getting people who work with kids) so they know the signs of human trafficking,” Billings said.

The newly passed bill would call on the Human Services Dept. to investigate a child’s background and help victims of trafficking return to a normal life.