HB 148 - TRAFFICKING OF PERSONS HB 101 - SEX TRAFFICKING AND TOURISM 3:56:22 PM CHAIR McGUIRE announced that the final order of business would be a hearing on two bills: HOUSE BILL NO. 148, "An Act relating to trafficking of persons."; and HOUSE BILL NO. 101, "An Act relating to sex trafficking and tourism." REPRESENTATIVE BETH KERTTULA, Alaska State Legislature, sponsor of HB 148, said that both she and Representative Croft have introduced legislation relating to human trafficking, which, at its fundamental root, she opined, is human slavery. She went on to say: It's a pretty shocking thing to realize that in this day and age, we have slavery, and it's a sad truth. The [U.S. Department of State] estimates that between 600,000 to 800,000 men, women, and children are trafficked across international borders each year, and somewhere in the range of 20,000 to 100,000 are brought into the U.S. We have the first case that was prosecuted under the federal Act here in Alaska: Ukrainian women brought under the pretense of folk dancing and then held at a home in Chugiak and ... brought into the Crazy Horse [Saloon] where they were forced to strip for money. And luckily a really astute [Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)] agent caught an ad in the newspaper and went and investigated, and it resulted in the prosecution of [three] men who went to jail. So it's a sad truth. My husband was in Vladivostok last summer, ... [and] people approached him and said it was an increasing problem, ... [that of] Russian women being brought to Alaska. REPRESENTATIVE KERTTULA relayed that members' packets contain examples [of human trafficking] and that experts will be on hand to testify at the bills' next hearing, and noted that the Department of Law (DOL) has been working with she and Representative Croft, but it has not been a completely easy task to come up with the right language. She indicated that a proposed change [suggested by the DOL] to HB 148 has been handed out. In conclusion, she opined that [human trafficking] is everyone's problem and thus shouldn't necessarily be left solely up to the federal government to address. REPRESENTATIVE ERIC CROFT, Alaska State Legislature, sponsor of HB 101, offered the following quote from President George W. Bush's address to the UN General Assembly in September 2003: There's a special evil in the abuse and exploitation of the most innocent and vulnerable. The victims of sex trade see little of life before they see the very worst of life - an underground of brutality and lonely fear. Those who create these victims and profit from their suffering must be severely punished. Those who patronize this industry debase themselves and deepen the misery of others. And governments that tolerate this trade are tolerating a form of slavery. REPRESENTATIVE CROFT noted that members' packets include a federal report that was the basis of federal legislation, but added that he agrees with Representative Kerttula that this issue is not something that should be left solely to the federal government to address, that there should be appropriate state laws in place as well. He offered his understanding that Representative Kerttula's legislation focuses on the importation of people under fraudulent or threatening pretenses, and explained that although his legislation addresses that issue too, it also - via the latter portion of Section 1, proposed AS 11.66.410 - addresses the issue of organized tours for the purpose of having sex with children in other countries. Although it is not yet known how prevalent or how well advertised this practice is, it is known that it does exist because there have been reports from the "subject" countries that say that people, mainly men, from industrialized countries enter into [the subject] countries for the purpose of having sex with children. REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG indicated that he has three issues of concern [with the DOL's proposed change]. One, why does it only address situations that involve people coming into the state - shouldn't it also address situations involving people who are already in the state. REPRESENTATIVE CROFT indicated that his bill does not have the transportation element that the DOL has expressed a preference for including, and surmised that the issue will be addressed further at the bills' next hearing. REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG said the second issue of concern is the language pertaining to labor in the state by a promise. He offered his belief that such language could interfere with legitimate labor disputes. The third issue of concern pertains to the language, "if the person obtains a benefit from the commission". He opined that "benefit" should be defined. REPRESENTATIVE CROFT suggested to Representative Gruenberg that before the bills' next hearing, he compare Sections 1 of HB 101, HB 148, and the DOL's proposed change. [HB 148 and HB 101 were held over.]