WHEREAS, human trafficking is a public health issue and crime that affects individuals, families and communities across generations, exploiting the most vulnerable among us and weakening our most collective well-being; and

WHEREAS, human trafficking, as defined by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, is a commercial sex act induced by force, fraud, or coercion or when a person induced to perform such an act is not yet 18 years old; or the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery; and

WHEREAS, an estimated 27.6 million people are subjected to human trafficking globally, including cases of human trafficking reported in every state and territory across the United States; and

WHEREAS, human trafficking can happen to anyone, but certain populations are disproportionately at risk, including people affected by prior abuse or sexual violence, poverty, and unstable living situations or homelessness, as well as those systemically marginalized and underserved"; and

WHEREAS, people can be trafficked in person and online; in industries such as restaurants, cleaning services, construction, and factories; and by strangers or someone they know, including partners, parents, and other family members; and

WHEREAS, human trafficking is preventable by building individual, community, and societal understanding and resilience, reducing social inequities, and addressing social determinants of health; and

WHEREAS, the State of Nevada is dedicated to ensuring anyone impacted by human trafficking can receive person-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally and linguistically appropriate care; and

WHEREAS, Human Trafficking Awareness Day is an opportunity to raise awareness and educate everyone on how they can prevent and respond to human trafficking;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOE LOMBARDO, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, do hereby proclaim January 11, 2024 as

HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS DAY IN NEVADA