Douglas signs Vermont human-trafficking bill

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MONTPELIER — Gov. Jim Douglas has signed into law a bill cracking down on human trafficking in Vermont.

Supporters of the bill say Vermont was one of only five states in the United States and alone in the Northeast in not having a law targeting trafficking in human beings.

The Coalition of Vermonters Against Slavery Today calls it a worldwide problem that does not bypass Vermont. They say people caught up in trafficking often are taken far from home and used in forced labor and prostitution.

The bill Douglas signed at the Statehouse in Montpelier on Tuesday sets up a task force to study the issue and recommend ways Vermont law enforcement can improve its enforcement against crimes involving human trafficking.

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20100428/NEWS03/100427013/Douglas-signs-Vermont-human-trafficking-bill