ATLANTA – State Representative Houston Gaines (R-Athens) yesterday led the Georgia House of Representatives in passing House Bill 823, part of a legislative package in partnership with First Lady Marty Kemp and Governor Brian Kemp to combat human trafficking in Georgia. Sponsored by Rep. Gaines, HB 823 passed out of the House unanimously with a vote of 166 – 0.
“I’m proud to have sponsored HB 823 and appreciate the strong support of my colleagues in the House and the efforts of First Lady and Governor Kemp to bring this bill forward,” said Rep. Gaines. “With 3,600 children sold for sex in Georgia every single year, we must strengthen our laws and provide a safe haven for victims. This legislation punishes traffickers across our state and moves Georgia one step closer to shutting down modern slavery for good.”
House Bill 823 would impose a lifetime commercial driver’s license ban in Georgia for those who are convicted and knowingly use a commercial vehicle in the commission of a human trafficking crime, which includes trafficking an individual for labor servitude or sexual servitude. This legislation would work in accordance with a federal regulation enacted last summer – reflecting a change made by Congress in the “No Human Trafficking on Our Roads Act.”
For more information on House Bill 823, please click here.
Representative Houston Gaines represents the citizens of District 117, which includes portions of Barrow, Clarke, Jackson and Oconee counties. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2018 and currently serves on the Code Revision, Health & Human Services and Insurance committees.
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