Today the Senate unanimously passed two bills aimed at bringing an end to human trafficking—the criminal act of trading or enslaving human beings for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation or forced labor.

Senate Bill 5546, sponsored by Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-Seattle, and Sen. Jerome Delvin, R-Richland, would expand the criminal definition of human trafficking to include forced labor, involuntary servitude, commercial sexual abuse of a minor and criminal sex acts. It also would include as trafficking the illegal harvesting or sale of human organs, as well as strengthen the laws to more effectively hold accountable criminals caught transporting a person for the future purpose of prostitution or forced manual labor.

“We know that our state is one of the most vulnerable in the country for human trafficking crimes due to our close proximity to Asia, our international boarder, and our numerous public ports,” Kohl-Welles said. “This legislation will go far in continuing our efforts to end this modern-day form of slavery and helping prosecution efforts to bring criminals participating in the illicit trade to justice.”

Senate Bill 5545, also introduced by Delvin and Kohl-Welles, would allow law enforcement officers to conduct surveillance operations on suspected human-trafficking and child-prostitution activities with the consent of the victim. It would also authorize prosecutors to request assistance from juveniles in the undercover surveillance of telephone communications in trafficking investigations, without putting them in danger.

In a committee hearing earlier this session, former State Representative Velma Veloria and Seattle Port Commissioner Gael Tarleton voiced their support for SB 5546 to amend the criminal definitions.

Former Representative Veloria, who spearheaded efforts to criminalize trafficking in Washington, and whose bill in 2002 was the first state trafficking bill in the country, said “this bill addresses and defines the many types of trafficking we see in this state and will continue to face in the future.”

“Washington is the most trade-dependent state in the nation, and our economy benefits when our borders are open to trade. But our borders should never be open to human trafficking,” Tarleton said.

Over 15,000 people are trafficked into the country each year and forced into prostitution and manual labor. In 2003, Washington led the country as the first state to criminalize human trafficking.

The bills are part of a package that would greatly enhance the state’s efforts in combating human trafficking.

Kohl-Welles’ other bill on the issue, Senate Bill 5482, which would authorize local governments to use affordable housing funds to provide housing assistance to victims of human trafficking and their families, is awaiting a vote.