DOVER, Del. (AP) - The state House has approved a bill aimed at helping victims of human trafficking in Delaware.
The legislation cleared the House unanimously Tuesday and now goes to the Senate.
The bill allows someone arrested or convicted for a crime other than a violent felony as a result of being a victim of human trafficking to pursue a pardon or expungement of that criminal record. It also mandates that public awareness signs about human trafficking be posted at certain specific locations, including strip clubs, job recruitment centers, hospitals and emergency care providers.
A companion bill still awaiting a committee hearing prohibits the conviction of anyone younger than age 18 for prostitution, based on the idea that anyone under 18 who is engaged in prostitution is a victim of human trafficking.
