A bill awaiting Hawaii Gov. Josh Green’s signature could give sex trafficking survivors new power to seek justice—not just against their traffickers, but also against the individuals and businesses that profit from their exploitation.
House Bill 111, which was approved by both the Hawaii House and Senate earlier this year, addresses critical gaps in how the state handles sex trafficking. If signed into law, the bill would:
- Allow sex trafficking victims to file civil lawsuits against people, businesses, or institutions that financially benefit from sex trafficking or sexual exploitation.
- Extend the statute of limitations for civil claims related to sex trafficking from two years to ten.
According to advocates, this legislation could be a turning point for victim empowerment in Hawai’i, where sex trafficking remains one of the most underreported crimes.