Republican Assembly members presented from their Task Force on Human Trafficking report, hoping it leads to bipartisan support for legislation that helps trafficking victims.
Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay, R–Pulaski, presented the findings and his conference’s legislative proposals on March 25 with task force co-chairs Assemblyman Brian Maher, R–Walden, and Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh, R–Ballston.
The report comes as lawmakers negotiate the state’s budget.
“When we talked about the issue of human trafficking around the tables, we understood and found out that these services being provided to domestic violence victims and so many others is not enough, and so when it comes to being trafficked, you have no chance,” Assemblyman Maher said.
“We need to do better in this state as we enter into the final phase of a budget that could be over $250 billion. We have the resources to do better.”
In their response to the governor’s Executive Budget proposal, the Assembly majority has rejected a provision to eliminate the statute of limitations for sex trafficking and sex trafficking of a child.
The rejected provision is related to Assemblywoman Walsh’s legislation on sex trafficking. Her proposed bill (A.7003) eliminates the statue of limitations for filing sex trafficking and sex trafficking of a child cases. This will extend the time limit for filing sex trafficking felonies designated as non-violent.
“We already had the bill language. It would be very easy to just put it back in again,” Assemblywoman Walsh said. “If the governor put it in her proposal, she’s aware of the situation, it’s been recommended to her.”
Another key proposal to address human trafficking includes harsher punishments for criminal acts involving sex trafficking. A bill (A.6946) sponsored by Assemblyman Angelo Morinello, R–Niagara Falls, reclassifies sex trafficking and sex trafficking of a child crimes as Class B violent felonies.
Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio, R–Baiting Hollow, is also sponsoring a bill (A.6622) to change the definition of bail-eligible offenses when determining pre-trial release. Judges would be able to set bail for defendants charged with promoting prostitution and certain prostitution crimes involving a minor.
The bill is meant to offer victims increased protection after they come forward in court by holding defendants in jail if they cannot post bail.
“We need to allow our victims to have the confidence that they will have a place to go, and their abuser will be held if they have the courage to come forward,” Washington County District Attorney Tony Jordan said.
The task force held its first regional public forum in July 2024 and spoke with nearly 200 human trafficking stakeholders, including survivors, law enforcement and social workers to develop 63 proposals and recommendations addressing the issues.
Lawmakers also held eight regional forums across urban and rural New York. “That was probably the biggest eye opener, how pervasive of a problem this is,” Barclay said.
Input from trafficking survivor Katrina Massey, a Protect All Children from Trafficking board member, informed the task force’s proposals. “The trafficking is instilled in your minds. The shame of this trauma and this experience doesn’t wash off. It doesn’t leave you, but having that circle of support, whether it be your therapist, whether it be a housing specialist, whether it be government officials who care about these issues, those are the things that matter,” she said.
“I had to find my footing on my own and wished there were reports like this that existed then.”
Deputy Sheriff Meredith McGovern speaking on behalf of Orange County Sheriff Paul Arteta at the release of the task force report.
Deputy Sheriff Meredith McGovern spoke on behalf of the Orange County Sheriff Paul Arteta, explaining the difficulty officers face as first responders to potential trafficking cases.
“They’re not equipped, and they don’t have the training to deal with this highly nuanced problem,” she said. “The state and DCJS can really step in and work with law enforcement in creating a training platform that’s focused on anti-human trafficking.”
The Assembly minority leader noted how sex trafficking is an issue with the potential for bipartisan action.
“Republicans, Democrats, everybody in New York State wants to see a solution to the terrible tragedy of human trafficking,” Barclay said.
But according to Barclay, Democrats are focused more on offenders than victims.”
“Many of our colleagues across the aisle care more about the criminal than they do about the victim, so they’re against anything that would probably be tougher on the criminal,” he said, referencing bail reform and the Raise the Age program Democrats passed in 2017 to end charging 16 and 17-year-olds as adults for certain crimes.
“Once in a while, there’s issues I think transcend partisanship that really should be bipartisan, and human trafficking is one of those issues,” Barclay said.
Lilly Sabella is a fourth-year student from Queens, New York. She moved upstate to New Paltz to pursue her undergraduate English degree with a minor in political science. While at SUNY New Paltz, she has served as News Editor and Features Editor for The Oracle, as Nonfiction Editor for Columbia University’s literary magazine Exchange and has been published in Rewire News Group.
