A new law will soon be in effect to crack down on human trafficking in Alabama. Gov. Kay Ivey signed House Bill 42 into law on April 17, named The Sound of Freedom Act.
This is a bill imposing harsher punishments on those convicted of human trafficking in Alabama. According to the bill, the defendant does not have to know the exact age of the minor, and they cannot enter a legal defense where they claim they mistook the victim’s age.
The new law will raise the penalty for first-degree human trafficking to a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment when the victim is a minor. “Human trafficking of minors is one of the most heinous and heart-wrenching crimes in America, and because the most defenseless among us are the victims, those found guilty should face the harshest penalties,” said Gov. Ivey.
The bill has been passed unanimously in the House and Senate, and Governor Kay Ivey signed it into law on Wednesday afternoon.
A release from the governor’s office revealed that with this bill, Alabama has the toughest anti-human trafficking laws in the United States. The Sound of Freedom Act will take effect on October 1, 2024.
The bill is sponsored by State Rep. Donna Given (R—District 64) and has received exceptional support from state leaders and local ones.