AUGUSTA – The Maine House voted Thursday to advance a bill from Rep. Holly B. Stover, D-Boothbay, to increase support for survivors of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. The measure earned initial approval “under the hammer,” or by unanimous consent.
LD 2168 would require individuals convicted of certain sex crimes to pay additional fees to the state’s existing Victims’ Compensation Fund. These funds help survivors of crimes pay for counseling, lost wages and other related expenses. The bill also extends the circumstances under which victims of certain sex crimes are eligible to receive support from the Victims’ Compensation Fund.
“Over three decades of working alongside survivors, advocates and frontline service providers, I have seen what it takes to begin to heal. I have also seen what it looks like when we, as a state, don’t do enough,” said Stover. “LD 2168 sends a clear message: Maine sees survivors, Maine believes them, and Maine will hold their exploiters accountable.”
Human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation have gained ongoing national attention due to the high-profile crimes of Jeffrey Epstein. At a public hearing on the proposal earlier this year, Stover told members of the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee that public awareness of these crimes is at an all-time high.
“This proposal ensures that accountability is meaningfully tied to survivor support,” said Assistant House Majority Leader Lori K. Gramlich, D-Old Orchard Beach, a cosponsor of the bill and longtime social worker. “From my experience working with survivors, as well as my own lived experiences as a survivor, I know that access to supportive services can be the difference between stability and continued crisis.”
LD 2168 faces additional votes in the House and Senate.
Stover is serving her fourth term in the Maine House and represents Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Edgecomb, South Bristol, Southport and Westport Island. She is a member of the Legislature’s budget-writing Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee.
Gramlich is serving her fourth term in the Maine House and represents Old Orchard Beach.
Contact: Brian Lee (Stover, Gramlich) | 305-965-2744
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