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Bill Aimed At Making It Easier For Victims To Sue Human Traffickers Passes First House Panel

Florida Channel

Bills aimed at making it easier for human trafficking victims to sue their traffickers have passed a House committee.

Currently, Florida does have laws on the books that human trafficking victims can use to sue their traffickers or a person who assisted the trafficker. But, Rep. Ross Spano (R-Dover) says his two bills come with some added benefits.

“There is a provision that allows for the recovery of attorney’s fees, and so, these folks are going to be able to find attorneys to take their cases,” he said. “And, then, secondly, something that this law does that none of these others do is it funds some of these awards of these monies to a trust fund that will be responsible for paying out for some of the needs where the victims have suffered real damages, but their traffickers have no resources to go after.”

A similar bill passed the House during this past legislative session, but died in the Senate.

For more news updates, follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter: @SaschaCordner.

Sascha Cordner has more than ten years of public radio experience. It includes working at NPR member station WUFT-FM in Gainesville for several years. She's worked in both radio and TV, serving in various capacities as a reporter, producer and anchor. She's also a graduate of the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in telecommunications. She is the recipient of 15 awards from the Associated Press, Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and Edward R. Murrow. Her award-winning stories include her coverage on the infamous “Dozier School for Boys” and a feature titled "Male Breast Cancer: Lost in the Sea of Pink." Currently, Sascha serves as the host and producer of local and state news content for the afternoon news program "All Things Considered" at WFSU. Sascha primarily covers criminal justice and social services issues. When she's not reporting, Sascha likes catching up on her favorite TV shows, singing and reading. Follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter:@SaschaCordner.