Payments in help of victims of human trafficking go the Georgia Senate

ATLANTA (AP) – Two proposals from Governor Brian Kemp to further support victims of human trafficking are advancing in the Georgia General Assembly.

The Senate passed Senate Law 33 Thursday, which would allow victims or state officials to bring civil actions against money dealers, and Senate Law 34 would make it easier for people who have been trafficked to change their names.

Both measures were passed unanimously and will be discussed further.

Kemp has also said he is seeking a rule change to require anyone who acquires or renews a commercial driver’s license to take an anti-trafficking course.

The name change law would allow victims to change their names without advertising the measure in the local newspaper, as is now required, and they could seal their petitions to the judges. Similar exemptions already exist for victims of domestic violence.

The bill would allow a victim to sue anyone who knowingly benefited from human trafficking up to 10 years after the action or up to 10 years after a victim’s 18th birthday. The attorney general could also bring such a lawsuit. All lawsuits would be frozen until criminal proceedings are initiated. According to Kemp, the measure mirrors existing federal law.

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