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Laws and Human Trafficking

During the 2020 Legislative session, Attorney General Cameron worked with the General Assembly to implement comprehensive human trafficking reform by passing House Bill 2, co-sponsored by House Majority Caucus Chair Suzanne Miles and House Judiciary Chairman Jason Petrie.  The legislation increases awareness of human trafficking by requiring airports, truck stops, bus stations, and train stations to post signs displaying the National Human Trafficking Hotline. The new law also makes it easier for law enforcement and prosecutors to hold traffickers accountable by aligning state law with existing federal laws. House Bill 2 took effect on July 15, 2020. 

Learn more about House Bill 2

Download Human Trafficking Awareness Poster

Over the years, Kentucky has enacted many laws designed to combat human trafficking in the Commonwealth. KRS 620.030 makes Kentucky a mandated reporter state, meaning the suspected trafficking of a minor MUST be immediately reported to the Child Protective Services Hotline by calling 1-877-KYSAFE1 or 1-877-597-2331 or reporting the incident online. This website is monitored from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday. Reports WILL NOT be reviewed during evenings, weekends, or state holidays. Individuals who identify a child as a possible victim of abuse, neglect, dependency, or human trafficking are legally required to notify the proper authorities. 

Kentucky Human Trafficking Statutes

  • Human Trafficking Victims' Rights Act in 2013 – Allows survivors of forced labor or services to sue their traffickers for unpaid wages, damages, and attorney fees.
  • Kentucky House Bill 524 in 2017 – Requires schools to display National Human Trafficking Hotline number
  • KRS 336.075 – Requires the Labor Cabinet to report all suspected incidents of human trafficking to law enforcement and provides immunity from liability for anyone in the Cabinet reporting in good faith
  • KRS 413.249 – Action relating to childhood sexual abuse or childhood sexual assault
  • KRS 421.350 – Testimony of child allegedly victim of illegal sexual activity
  • KRS 421.500 – Victim's Bill of Rights
  • KRS 431.600 – Includes advocates of victims for human trafficking in membership of multidisciplinary teams and permits MDTs to investigate child human trafficking cases involving commercial sexual activity
  • KRS 529.100 – Human trafficking
  • KRS 529.110 – Promoting human trafficking
  • KRS 529.120 – Prohibits prosecution of minors for prostitution and requires a report of the child to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS); permits law enforcement to take a child victim of human trafficking into protective custody
  • KRS 529.180 – Conditions that are not a defense in a prosecution involving commercial sexual activity
  • KRS 605.030 – Permits court-designated workers to perform an initial screening for human trafficking
  • KRS 620.029 – Requires cabinet to report all children who are victims of human trafficking
  • KRS 620.030 – Requires a mandatory report to CHFS if there is reasonable cause to believe a child is a victim of human trafficking
  • KRS 620.040 – Provide assessment, treatment, housing, and services to the child as a victim of human trafficking and treat the child like an abused child
  • KRS 630.125 – Child not to be charged with or found guilty of a status offense related to human trafficking.


Additional Resources

SEE THE SIGNS, MAKE THE CALL

National Human Trafficking Hotline

1-888-373-7888

In an emergency, call 911

To learn more about Attorney General Cameron’s efforts to end human trafficking in the Commonwealth or to schedule a human trafficking community training event, contact Heather Wagers, Executive Director of the Attorney General’s Office of Trafficking and Abuse Prevention and Prosecution (TAPP).

1024 Capital Center Drive, Suite 200
Frankfort, Kentucky 40601

Phone: (502) 696-5436
YourEyesSaveLives@ky.gov

This project was supported, in whole or in part, by grant number 2020-CK-WX-0026 awarded to the Kentucky Office of the Attorney General by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.