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COLONIAL HEIGHTS, VA. (cvillerightnow.com) – Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed a bill that criminalizes labor trafficking on April 3, 2024, a bill that received bipartisan report.
HB633, which passed in both chambers unanimously, applies to those who directly engage in forcing individuals into labor. It also allows victims to take civil action.
“This is a very important statement by Virginia that we are going to eradicate human trafficking, and a big step of that is taking on real problems with our legal framework to combat labor trafficking,” said Gov. Youngkin.
“Modern-day slavery is what we call it,” said Del. Mike Cherry, R-Colonial Heights, at the signing ceremony. “Because really you’re doing the same things that they would’ve done in the olden days like trading in people and trading in goods for people and taking away their rights of freedom and making them do things that aren’t their will.”
The problem has become so present that Central Virginia Shelter Safe Harbor is creating a new residential program that’s focused solely on labor trafficking victims.
“Sixty percent of human trafficking is sex trafficking, and about 40% is labor trafficking,” said Attorney General Jason Miyares said. “And so, this is indeed the most vulnerable of our society, and so the message I think the Governor is sending today is that human traffic for labor is as inexcusable to sex trafficking, and it is absolutely imperative the laws of the commonwealth reflect that.”
The bill passed both chambers unanimously, but it did not make Virginia unique. In fact, the bill made Virginia the last state to criminalize labor trafficking.
Those convicted under the new state statute would face similar penalties to sex traffickers and up to 10 years in prison.