“Signs of Hope Act” adds additional locations required to display human trafficking awareness signage.
DOVER, DE – On Thursday, June 8, 2023, the Delaware State Senate passed Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill 43 (SS 1 for SB 43), the Signs of Hope Act.
Introduced by Senator Bryant Richardson (R-Seaford) and Senator Nicole Poore (D-New Castle) in the Senate, SS 1 for SB 43 expands upon existing law and requires additional State facilities and private establishments to display signage to help raise public awareness surrounding human trafficking.
“Human trafficking is a serious, yet often unrecognized, issue within Delaware’s communities,” Senator Richardson, the Senate prime sponsor said. “We must use every tool available to raise awareness and combat this sick underground industry.”
“The true scope of human trafficking in the First State is almost impossible to know for certain, but the latest data suggests nearly 100 people — most of them female and many of them children — are victimized here in Delaware every year,” said Senator Nicole Poore, the Senate co-prime sponsor of SS1 for SB 43. “We all have a role to play in raising awareness and sharing the resources available in communities to free the victims of human trafficking and prevent future cases from occurring. I want to thank my colleagues across the aisle for their willingness to work together in a bipartisan fashion to get this legislation passed.”
In coordination with the Delaware Anti-Trafficking Action Council, Department of Labor, and other stakeholders, the prime sponsors of the legislation identified many locations in which the signage will benefit the state’s fight against human trafficking. Such locations include state service centers, hotels, casinos, and massage establishments.
If a location owner does not comply with the initial warning, the owner may be fined, but the bill sponsors do not anticipate a problem with compliance. Establishments will receive a warning before any civil penalties are assessed.
SS 1 for SB 43 unanimously passed the Senate and now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.
###