Rep. Bos Encourages Participation in #EndItMovement; Files Legislation Combating Human Trafficking

LAKE ZURICH - Today marks a day of awareness for the #EndItMovement, a global movement to raise awareness and bring an end to the pervasive impact of human trafficking and the modern-day slavery it causes. People are encouraged to draw a red X on their hand and share it on social media with the hashtag #EndItMovement.

State Representative Chris Bos (R-Lake Zurich), who works with organizations to rescue children and young adults from sexual exploitation and human trafficking, is encouraging residents to participate in the day of awareness. Bos, who was sworn-in to office in January to represent the 51st House District, has also filed several pieces of legislation to combat human trafficking here in Illinois.

"Make no mistake about it, human trafficking is the vehicle of modern day slavery that is far more prevalent than most of us realize," said Bos. "The perpetrators of human trafficking come in many forms and will target the young for sexual exploitation or the unsuspecting for forced labor. In 2019 in the U.S., the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children CyberTipline received nearly 17 million reports of suspected child exploitation and trafficking.

"Since traffickers are constantly evolving their methods of exploitation, it is important for all of us to help raise awareness through the #EndItMovement and learn about ways to spot human trafficking and report it."

In addition to a call for greater awareness, Bos has filed House Bills 2931, 3365 and 3366 to improve protections for victims of human trafficking. HB 2931 expands the Address Confidentiality for Victims of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, or Stalking Act to include victims of human trafficking so they are protected under the act. HB 3365 creates the Human Trafficking Order of Protection Act to afford the same order of protection status to human trafficking victims that those of other forms of abuse are granted. HB 3366 requires those convicted of sex trafficking of minors to register as sex offenders.

Bos is also the chief co-sponsor of legislation, HB 1912, to allow victims who have private sexual images, or the threat of those images, used without their permission to take legal action against the perpetrator. Likewise, he is the chief co-sponsor of HB 3360 to increase criminal penalties on human traffickers.

For more information about the #EndItMovement, visit enditmovement.com. For information on how to spot and report human trafficking, visit the National Human Trafficking Hotline website at humantraffickinghotline.org or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children website at www.missingkids.org/HOME. To contact Rep. Bos, visit https://repbos.com/.