Sex trafficking civil lawsuit bill advances in state Senate

A House bill that would authorize victims of sex trafficking to file civil lawsuits against their perpetrators has passed unanimously in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Now, it advances to the full Senate floor for second reading.

Voting in favor in committee on Tuesday were committee Chair Karl Rhoads and Sens. Stanley Chang and Joy San Buenaventura. Two committee members were absent and excused: Vice Chair Mike Gabbard and Sen. Brenton Awa.

According to a report published in 2018 by Arizona State University and the Hawaiʻi State Commission on the Status of Women, 1 out of 11 adult male residents in Hawaiʻi are “online sex shoppers.”

House Bill 111 calls sex trafficking a form of modern-day slavery.

“The report also estimated that there were 74,362 potential sex buyers in Hawaiʻi,” the bill says. “Moreover, Imua Alliance, a victim service provider for survivors of sex trafficking and sexual violence, estimates that 150 establishments participate in the commercial sex trade in the state, increasing the high risk for sex trafficking.

In addition to allowing civil lawsuits in cases of sexual exploitation or sex trafficking, House Bill 111 would extend the statute of limitations for civil claims to 10 years.

Written public testimony submitted on the bill was strongly in support of its passage. Supporters of the measure said it would support victims and make perpetrators more accountable.

Sex trafficking victims suffer from complex forms of trauma that can include post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety, dissociation, parasuicidal behavior, and substance abuse.

House Vice Speaker Linda Ichiyama introduced the bill. It made its way through the House without a single “no” vote in committee or on the House floor.