Manley Passes New Law to Crack Down on Human Trafficking in Illinois

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Under legislation backed by state Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, human traffickers and others who profit from the exploitation of vulnerable women and children will face harsher penalties.  This legislation was recently signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

“Human trafficking is a very real problem in Illinois, considering our hubs of interstate and international transportation in Chicago and the St. Louis area. The legislation that I sponsored offers comprehensive solutions to help address human trafficking in our state,” said Manley. “I applaud the governor for signing this bill to ensure law enforcement officers have the necessary training to help identify and investigate human trafficking rings, give survivors more time to come forward and slap severe financial penalties on businesses that benefit from these crimes.”

Manley passed Senate Bill 1890, which makes extensive changes to Illinois’ current human trafficking laws.  Under Manley’s bill, businesses that benefit from human trafficking and similar crimes will face new fines of up to $100,000. The bill also provides further training for all law enforcement officers on identifying and investigating suspected human trafficking situations and extends the statute of limitations on both criminal and civil cases to 25 years.  Manley’s measure passed out of the Illinois House and Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support, and was signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

“I want to thank Rep. Manley for her leadership in passing critical legislation to impede the criminal enterprise of human trafficking. Predators and profiteers of these rings of horror targeting women and girls must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. However, our current system of jurisprudence is highly inadequate,” said Ines Kutlesa, CEO of Guardian Angel Community Services. “Senate Bill 1890 aims not only to identify and prosecute these crimes, but to eradicate them entirely, and give victims the time to heal and bring their offenders to justice.”

For more information, please contact Manley’s constituent service office at 815-725-2741 or RepManley@gmail.com.