Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody announced this week that she is leading a national committee focused on anti-human trafficking policies and services for survivors.
The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) named Moody co-chair of the NAAG Human Trafficking Committee. The national committee provides a forum for state attorneys general to collaborate on issues related to human trafficking and promote best practices to combat trafficking and assist survivors.
“Ending human trafficking in Florida is one of my top priorities, but we can’t achieve this lofty goal by working within our state borders alone. That’s not how traffickers operate, so we too must break down barriers and work together. I am thrilled to help lead the National Association of Attorneys General Human Trafficking Committee. The members of this prestigious committee will work in unison—to share ideas and strategies for combating human trafficking and saving lives,” Moody said on Monday.
The NAAG Human Trafficking Committee focuses on facilitating education, investigation, outreach, prevention, prosecution and victim services protection. The committee also disseminates information on emerging issues and practices in the fight against human trafficking.
In December 2021, NAAG challenged efforts to weaken laws against human trafficking and sexual abuse. Moody, along with 38 other attorneys general, implored the American Law Institute to reject proposed changes to the Model Penal Code that would weaken the ability of states to prosecute abuse, exploitation, sexual assault and trafficking crimes. To learn more, click here.
Moody is the chair of the Statewide Council on Human Trafficking. The council consists of 15 members, including Florida law enforcement, prosecutors, legislators and experts in the health, education and social services fields who work to build on existing state and local partnerships to combat human trafficking. For more information about the council, click here.
In January, Moody launched the 100 Percent Club, an initiative recognizing Florida businesses and organizations that commit to train their employees on how to spot and report suspected human trafficking. The first members of the 100 Percent Club include PGT Innovations, one of the largest private-sector employers in Sarasota County, and Landstar Systems, Inc., one of the largest trucking companies in the state.
Additionally, Moody is working with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to train truck drivers to spot and report human trafficking through the Highway Heroes campaign. Since the launch of the campaign, more than 4,600 commercial truck drivers have received anti-human trafficking training and are now equipped to help keep an eye on Florida’s 12,000 miles of highways and report suspicious activity to law enforcement.
In October 2021, Moody launched the 2021 Human Trafficking Summit. More than 4,000 attendees from more than 40 states registered to watch the summit, accessing approximately 16 hours of educational content.
