Committee Passes Senator Fedor’s Human Trafficking Legislation
Senate Bill 235 now goes to Senate floor for vote
Columbus – State Senator Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) is pleased to announce that Senate Bill 235 was passed out of the Senate Judiciary – Criminal Justice Committee today. SB 235 is a bipartisan bill that will make Human Trafficking a stand-alone felony. The bill was introduced during this General Assembly by Senator Fedor and Senator Tim Grendell (R-Chesterland). The bill passed committee with one agreed upon amendment.
“The Ohio Revised Code does not, as it is written today, address Human Trafficking and human traffickers,” Senator Fedor said today in committee. “This bill bridges that gap, addressing traffickers and trafficking.
“Few legislative issues evoke the emotional outpouring that Human Trafficking does. I sponsored an Advocacy Day at the Statehouse this month to which over 100 individuals arrived to make their voices heard. They care about ending Human Trafficking, and they want to end it now. Even more people called the Statehouse or wrote letters voiced their outrage at the fact that people are being bought and sold on American soil.
“This must change and it must change now, with us, before another child or person is exploited,” Senator Fedor said. “This bill provides a much-needed and powerful tool for Ohio’s prosecutors and law enforcement to take on human traffickers in Ohio.”
Senate Bill 235 now goes to the Ohio Senate floor for a vote. Senate session is currently scheduled for Wednesday, December 1; Tuesday, December 7; Wednesday, December 8; and Thursday, December 9.
Senator Fedor encourages advocates of Senate Bill 235 to show their support by attending Ohio Senate session. Session convenes at about 1:30 PM on scheduled session dates. Should session convene on Thursday, December 9, it would begin at about 11:00 AM.
