HB 461 would bring Ohio law into compliance with federal law regarding trafficking victims aged 16 and 17.
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By and large, Ohio has a good track record of passing anti-trafficking legislation. One major exception is the way the state treats some victims who are minors. Due to Ohio's age of consent being 16, 16 and 17-year-old trafficking victims are required to prove that they were forced or deceived into sex work. This is different from the other 49 states which recognize that any minor engaged in commercial sex is a trafficking victim.
HB 461, introduced by Ohio State Rep. Teresa Fedor of Toledo and Rep. Tavia Galonski of Akron, would remove the "force, fraud, or coercion requirement" for 16 and 17-year-old trafficking victims. It would also bring state law into compliance with federal law.
Click the button above to contact State Senator Fedor and show your support of her bill, which has bipartisan support.
Forms of Abolition:
Policy Making
Forms of Slavery:
Sex Trafficking
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