Bill O’Boyle: AG Henry launches first-ever Human Trafficking Section

Jan. 14—WILKES-BARRE — Attorney General Michelle Henry announced this week the launch of the office's first-ever Human Trafficking Section, to address and bolster statewide efforts to effectively investigate and prosecute human trafficking cases and facilitate assistance for victims.

The announcement comes during Human Trafficking Prevention Month — a time designated to educate the public about human trafficking and the role they can play in preventing and responding to human trafficking.

As part of the effort to raise awareness on the topic, Executive Deputy Attorney General Michele Kelly Walsh and Chief Deputy Attorney General Heather Castellino will testify on Jan. 11 at a Senate Policy Committee Hearing about prevention and enforcement efforts happening statewide.

"Human trafficking takes many forms, often exploiting the vulnerabilities of people in need, leaving them with lasting devastation and trauma," said Attorney General Henry. "I am proud to announce our office's new section dedicated solely to human trafficking, and look forward to continuing our work with local, state, and federal partners who are making monumental strides to bring these heinous crimes out of the shadows."

The section will take a multidisciplinary approach to tackle human trafficking, which impacts nearly every community in the Commonwealth.

The section will continue to work closely with local, state, and federal agencies to investigate and prosecute human trafficking crimes. Victims are often moved across jurisdictional lines, making collaboration among agencies critical in investigating and holding offenders accountable.

Additionally, the section will continue education and outreach efforts on the topic, and participate in conferences, symposiums, and presentations of case studies. The section will work internally and externally to train individuals to recognize signs of sex trafficking as they occur, and implement the best practices to address a trafficking situation once it has been identified.

As part of that effort, the Office of Attorney General participated in producing an educational podcast for Uber drivers, focused on identifying a potential victim of human trafficking and what actions to take when they suspect someone is in a potentially dangerous situation. The podcast was moderated by Attorney General Henry and will be released by Uber later this month.

In the past year, the Office of Attorney General prosecuted multiple serious cases related to human trafficking, including the examples below:

—In April, the office, along with the Pennsylvania State Police, arrested Joseph "Jay" Pulizzi for operating a human trafficking ring across multiple Pennsylvania counties. Pulizzi used promises of money, housing, and security to exploit at least seven victims, many of whom suffered from substance use disorders, homelessness, and other hardships. This case is a textbook example of the tactics often used by human traffickers to deceive vulnerable women into exploitative sex "work" and control them with threats and violence.

—In February of last year, a Berks County man, Hector Rivera, was convicted of 15 charges related to trafficking a young woman in his community. Rivera exploited the woman's battle with addiction and then coerced her to have sex with men in exchange for money. Rivera kept all of the money from these transactions for himself. In May, he was sentenced to 33 1/2 to 69 years in prison, ensuring that he can no longer take advantage of vulnerable individuals.

If you are a victim of human trafficking and need help or suspect that someone else is a victim, contact the Pennsylvania State Police Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-292-1919; email tips@pa.gov; or contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline by calling or texting 233733 (befree) to 1-888-373-7888.

If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 911.

Meuser bill targets China's secretive currency practices

The United States House of Representatives has passed H.R. 839 — the China Exchange Rate Transparency (CERT) Act of 2023.

This important legislation, introduced by U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Dallas, targets China's secretive and often unfair currency practices. The legislation passed the House 379-1 with overwhelming bipartisan support.

The CERT Act calls for greater transparency in China's exchange rate policies, a move seen as crucial to addressing China's currency manipulation. Such practices have long affected the competitiveness of American products and the broader global economy, benefiting Chinese exports at the expense of economic fairness.

"My bill takes on the Chinese Communist Party's unfair tactics in the world of currency trading," Meuser said. "They're purposely lowering the value of their money to make their products cheaper than American ones. This isn't just about being fair; it's about making sure the world economy plays by the rules. The CERT Act makes sure every country, including China, follows the promises they made. The bill stands up to China's consistent bending of international rules by making their often-manipulative exchange rates more transparent at the IMF."

Meuser said this bipartisan effort is a significant move to level the playing field for American businesses and workers. By confronting currency manipulation, Meuser said the Act is expected to boost the competitiveness of U.S. exports, benefiting the American economy.

"The passage of the CERT Act signals the United States' strong commitment to fair trade and a transparent global economic system," Meuser said. "This bill represents more than just legislation. It's a clear statement of the U.S.'s determination to maintain fair trade and protect its economic interests amidst global complexities. It underscores the commitment of U.S. leaders to defend American businesses and workers from unfair economic practices."

Cartwright introduces legislation to benefit military service members

U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Moosic, this week introduced the Improving SCRA Benefit Utilization Act — a bipartisan bill that would improve awareness and modernize an interest rate reduction benefit currently underutilized by active-duty military service members.

The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) provides critical protections to military personnel, including National Guard and Reserve members, and their families, in the event that legal or financial transactions adversely affect their rights during military or uniformed service.

These protections include the ability to reduce the interest rate to a maximum of six percent on any pre-service obligations or liabilities during the period of active-duty service, including for personal, auto and student loans, as well as mortgages and credit cards.

The SCRA interest rate reduction represents a substantial financial benefit and one that increases in value in a higher interest rate environment, where the service member has taken out a larger loan or is on active duty for a longer period of time. However, recent research by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) revealed that the interest rate reduction benefit is significantly underutilized.

"It is unacceptable that members of our nation's military personnel aren't able to utilize SCRA interest rate reductions — a benefit they earned — due to lack of awareness and barriers to usage," Cartwright said. "Financial issues should not distract our brave men and women in uniform from their mission. My bipartisan legislation identifies commonsense opportunities to improve benefit awareness and utility, increase the likelihood of substantial financial savings, and enhance the overall readiness of our armed forces."

Cartwright said one reason for under-utilization is a lack of service member awareness about the benefit and eligibility, which in turn impacts access. Additionally, even if they are aware of the benefit, the burden falls solely on individual service members to notify their lender, in writing, with a copy of their active-duty service orders.

Furthermore, it is not currently possible for creditors to automatically apply SCRA interest rate reductions for all accounts held at an institution if a service member invokes the benefit for a single account.

With interest rates of auto and mortgage loans commonly exceeding 6%, in addition to credit cards, the SCRA interest rate reduction benefit provides considerable value.

Specifically, the Improving SCRA Benefit Utilization Act would:

—Expand existing military financial literacy programs to include information about financial protections available under the SCRA.

—Require the Department of Defense's annual Status of Forces Survey to include questions about service member awareness of SCRA interest rate protections.

—Include SCRA benefit information and eligibility on all activation orders, including Guard and Reserve components serving in a federal active-duty status.

—Require creditors to apply the SCRA's six percent interest rate cap to all applicable accounts held at that financial institution once the service member invokes their rights for a single account.

Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.