Sacramento, Calif. – Assembly Bill 1762, by Assemblymember Nora Campos (D-San Jose) passed the Legislature today making its way to the Governor’s desk. This bill would allow victims of human trafficking to vacate their criminal records for non-violent convictions.
“We need to stop punishing victims of human trafficking and allow them to wipe their slate clean so they can move forward with their lives,” said Campos.
Human trafficking victims are often forced to commit crimes by their traffickers as part of their victimization. Convictions that are a direct result of being trafficked create substantial and unjust barriers to recovery for victims who seek to rebuild their lives.
Reports show that trafficking victims are arrested and convicted of crimes directly related to their trafficking experience as many as 30-40 times.
AB 1762 is supported by the Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking, National Council of Jewish Women, American Civil Liberties Union of CA, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association of University, American Medical Women’s Association, and ACT for Women and Girls.
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The 27th Assembly District is entirely in San Jose – the third largest city in California and the tenth in the nation. Assembly Democratic Whip – Chair, Budget Subcommittee 5 on Public Safety. Campos served as a San Jose City Councilwoman before she was elected to the Assembly in 2010.
