FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 20, 2026
CONTACT:
Tomasa Dueñas (Assemblymember Pellerin): 916-319-2028, tomasa.duenas@asm.ca.gov
Daniel McGreevy (Assemblymember Bonta): 916-319-2589, daniel.mcgreevy@asm.ca.gov
Survivor Leaders Designate Human Trafficking Awareness Month as California Prepares for the Super Bowl
Sacramento, CA – Assemblymembers Gail Pellerin (D-Santa Cruz) and Mia Bonta (D-Oakland) hosted human trafficking survivor leaders at the Capitol to introduce HR 75, designating January as National Human Trafficking Awareness Month. HR 75 recognizes the anti-trafficking movement as a movement led by survivors and affirms California’s commitment to partnering with survivors and advocacy organizations to shape policy solutions that work.
Although Pellerin and Bonta are year-round advocates for human trafficking prevention, Pellerin stressed the urgency of uplifting this issue as California prepares to host the Super Bowl in February, as traffickers typically exploit crowds, temporary workforces, and economic surges.
While there is a heightened risk for human-trafficking to occur around large-scale events, Pellerin maintained that “human trafficking happens year-round—whether a city is hosting a global event or not, whether it’s on the coast or in the Central Valley.”
“This is an issue painfully intimate to my district. Alameda County is the third-highest hotspot for human trafficking in the United States,” Assemblymember Bonta uplifted. “But we cannot solve a problem we are not willing to name. HR 75 designates January as Human Trafficking Awareness Month, committing us as a legislature to unite to support survivors and end this horrific practice across the state. I’m grateful for my colleagues and advocates dedicated to this work, and I am confident we will advance bold, justice-centered, survivor-first policies.”
Those most impacted are typically already pushed to the margins: racial and ethnic minorities, Indigenous people, women and girls, LGBTQ+ individuals, and migrants – communities made vulnerable by systemic inequality and isolation. Even when victims see a chance to report, many cannot—because of the threat of retaliation, violence, or deportation.
What Assemblymembers Have to Say
“Human trafficking is a serious issue here in California, and as legislators we’ve taken steps to combat the epidemic by holding traffickers and those who deliberately look the other way accountable, but there’s more to be done,” said Assemblymember Nick Schultz (D-Burbank), Chair of the Assembly Public Safety Committee. “We need better services for survivors and new tools to prevent trafficking all together.”
“Human Trafficking Awareness Month reminds us to see survivors with dignity, to confront the realities that make people vulnerable, and to commit to prevention that actually interrupts the cycle. Our work is to make sure survivors don’t just escape exploitation but have the opportunity to rebuild a future.” Assemblymember Sade Elhawary.
“Human trafficking is a profound moral failure that demands sustained action, especially since it happens every day in communities across our state. That’s why during Human Trafficking Awareness Month, I am grateful to Assemblymembers Pellerin and Bonta for their leadership and for centering survivors in our work. We are committed not just to raising awareness, but to backing that commitment with real investments—supporting the advocates on the front lines, holding traffickers accountable, and making sure survivors can find safety, healing, and justice.” Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo (D-Santa Clarita).
“Human trafficking is abhorrent, and HR 75 highlights the critical work being done to combat this modern-day form of slavery. Human trafficking has no place in our state, and I’m committed to supporting victims and their families any way that I can. Even one victim of human trafficking is too many.” Assemblymember Diane Dixon (R-Newport Beach)
What Advocates Have to Say
“For too many survivors, the first interaction they have with a system is not through services or support—it is through arrest, detention, or punishment. Survivors are criminalized simply for surviving. That is why this resolution matters—because it names a different path. It affirms that trafficking is a human rights issue, not a moral failure. It acknowledges that survivors should not be punished for harm done to them. And it commits to approaches that center health, safety, and dignity. This resolution is a step toward ensuring that survivors are met with support instead of suspicion, services instead of surveillance, and dignity instead of punishment. But it must be followed by action—by budgets, policies, and political courage that reflect these values.” Leigh LaChapelle, Associate Director – Cast LA
“Every young person deserves to be seen, protected, and believed. Our response must match the reality of trafficking today, including labor trafficking by forced criminality.” Josie Feemster, Preventing & Addressing Child Trafficking Regional Coordinator – Child and Family Policy Institute of California (CFPIC)
“For too long we have been told that human trafficking is a heinous crime, but I am here to say that even more heinous is the hunger, classism, greed, push-out, discrimination, and continuum of gender based violence. Denying our experience keeps us explaining, it keeps us defending. It keeps us spinning in circles trying to prove something everyone already knows.” Jess Torres, Director of Programs, Preventing & Addressing Child Trafficking (PACT) Consultant, Rising Worldwide
Assemblymember Gail Pellerin represents California’s 28th Assembly District including Santa Cruz County and parts of Santa Clara County. She chairs the Assembly Elections Committee and the Select Committee on California’s Mental Health Crisis. Courtesy photos can be found HERE.
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