Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

Efforts to amend the 2007 human trafficking law initially drew broad support among a diverse coalition that included law enforcement, victims advocates and church groups. But in recent weeks, some of the legislation's supporters-- among them the state police--have raised concerns about the language in the Senate version of the bill.

State Police Superintendent Col. Brendan P. Doherty said Tuesday before the Senate hearing that he was concerned that the training could be time-consuming and expensive. But the new version of the bill states that it's up to law enforcement to determine the necessary training.

One of the House bill's vocal supporters, University of Rhode Island professor Donna Hughes, e-mailed a letter to Senators last Monday urging them to vote "No" on the Senate bill.

"Of course, I am opposed to sex trafficking," she wrote in the e-mail, "but this bill comes loaded with loopholes and complex provisions that will create more problmes that it solves."

Hughes wrote that the bill "creates a lophole for buyers of sex, if they are under 21."

The amended Senate bill, introduced on the Senate floor Tuesday, includes a new section that states: "Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as prevention the prosecution of 'victims' or 'customers' that are personally involved in the managemetn, organization or proprietary ownership of an enterprise...''

Kimberly Harris, co-chairperson of the Rhode Island Coalition Against Human Trafficking, said Tuesday that she is "optimistic that both the House and Senate will agree on the most comprehensive victim-centered bill"

Harris said that the coalition members had hoped that the bill would also cover trafficking for forced labor, but that provision was removed from the Senate version.

A separate sex-trafficking bill (H-5661) introduced by Rep. Joanne M. Giannini which included a provision to cover forced labor is scheduled to be heard on the House floor Thursday.