Gov. DeSantis signs measures to combat human trafficking
MIAMI - Governor Ron DeSantis held a press conference in northern Broward on human trafficking.
The governor was at Coastal Community Church in Lighthouse Point. Joining him were Attorney General Ashley Moody, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, House Speaker Paul Renner, and Department of Children and Families Secretary Shevaun Harris.
During the event, DeSantis signed a number of bills to help combat human trafficking.
One measure creates a civil action against traffickers and allows victims to recover damages from adult entertainment establishments.
"This is a deterrent for some of those people who now know that they can be held liable in a more direct way financially," said DeSantis.
The measure also allows victims to receive restitution from the sale of their trafficker's seized property.
It also increases penalties for adult entertainment establishments that exploit minors from a first degree misdemeanor to a third degree felony.
The measures also require offenders of prostitution, lewdness or related acts to attend an educational course on the impacts of human trafficking on people and their communities.
Another measure expands the state's human trafficking awareness campaign into residential treatment centers for children and teens.
Police officers are now required to undergo four hours of training on how to recognize human trafficking during basic recruit training.
Another measure cracks down on violators of human trafficking awareness requirements for hotels and other public lodging by shortening the compliance period and imposes daily fines for repeat violators.
Nationwide, human trafficking is a $150 billion criminal enterprise.