Governor John Carney has signed Senate Bill 223 into law, bringing Delaware into compliance with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s “No Human Trafficking on Our Roads Act” by creating a lifetime disqualification for a commercial driver’s license if the individual engages in human trafficking while using a motor vehicle.
Human trafficking activities have often been facilitated using commercial trucks or buses. The commercial motor vehicle industry is uniquely positioned to assist in the fight against human trafficking, by detecting and reporting this abhorrent crime. By enforcing a lifetime ban on any commercial motor vehicle driver convicted of human trafficking, this bill will send a strong message and deterrent regarding this behavior.
“Sadly, human trafficking is real and can happen in any community,” said Governor John Carney. “It’s our responsibility to continue to bring it out of the shadows and take action to stop this horrible crime. Thank you to the members of the General Assembly for their unanimous support of this important legislation.”
State Senator Stephanie L. Hansen, the lead Senate sponsor of the bill said, “My colleagues and I in the Delaware General Assembly are committed to the fight against human trafficking and bringing to justice those who profit from the misery and enslavement of others. Senate Bill 223 gives our state yet another tool for combating this vile practice on our roadways and in our communities. I commend DelDOT Secretary Jennifer Cohan for bringing this legislation to my attention and Governor John Carney for signing it into law.”
“Human trafficking is a reprehensible practice that needs to be eliminated from our society. We need to use every tool at our discretion to combat it,” said Rep. Ed Osienski, the lead House sponsor of SB 223. “By establishing a lifetime ban for commercial drivers who engage in human trafficking, we are sending a clear message that Delaware won’t tolerate this activity in our state. While I’m frustrated that such a law is necessary, I’m grateful that we are taking decisive action.”
Secretary of Transportation Jennifer Cohan added, “More than 11,000 cases of human trafficking were reported in the United States in 2019, and the number of cases not reported is surely higher. DelDOT is committed to the national effort to eradicate human trafficking and imposing severe penalties on those who participate in the exploitation of another person, period.”
Earlier this year, DelDOT also joined the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Transportation Leaders Against Human Trafficking (TLAHT), an initiative comprised of nearly 500 transportation and travel industry stakeholders working jointly to maximize their collective impact in combating human trafficking. To date, TLAHT has engaged with hundreds of organizations from across the transportation industry.
If you believe you may have information about a human trafficking situation, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, text “BeFree” to 233733 or click on “live chat” at humantraffickinghotline.org.
