OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - An Oklahoma House panel has approved a bill to let human trafficking victims clear certain criminal records.
A proposal by Rep. Sally Kern would let victims of sex trafficking seek to void prostitution convictions. The House Public Safety Committee approved the bill Wednesday without opposition or debate, sending it to the full House for consideration.
New York passed a similar law in 2010, according to the advocacy group The Polaris Project. The group says six other states have since passed laws like it in an attempt to ensure that victims of human trafficking are not treated like criminals.
Bureau of Narcotics Director Darrell Weaver says he supports the bill. Kern proposed another bill to strengthen Oklahoma's trafficking laws last year, which the full Legislature approved.
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