Jul. 06, 2021
HARRISBURG – Gov. Tom Wolf signed into law
House Bill 843, introduced by Rep. David Rowe (R-Snyder/Union), which would require human trafficking offenses be considered in a party’s bid for child custody.
“Human trafficking remains a constant threat in Pennsylvania,” said Rowe. “In 2018, one in seven children who were reported missing were child sex trafficking victims. The average age a child is forced into sex slavery is 12 years old with the average life expectancy of a trafficking victim being seven years from the day they were trafficked. House Bill 843 is a part of a package of bills designed to combat the terrible circumstances human trafficking victims face and protect the most vulnerable among us from this heinous industry. I am glad the governor followed suit in our efforts.”
The bill now Act 38, amends Section 5329 of Title 23 to add any offense under Title 18 Chapter 30, related to human trafficking and promoting prostitution of a minor. The two offenses are consistent with numerous violent and serious offenses that a court must consider before making a custody decision.
The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference (PCC) issued the following statement on the new legislation:
“The PCC has supported these measures and congratulates the bill sponsors who have worked so hard on these important pieces of legislation.”
Representative David Rowe
85th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Huntre Keip
717.772.9837
hkeip@pahousegop.com
RepDavidRowe.com /
Facebook.com/RepDavidRowe