April 6, 2021 3:20 a.m.

On Monday, the Oregon Senate approved SB 515 and SB 535 with overwhelming bipartisan support.

A release from Oregon Senate Republicans said the measures added more reporting opportunities to help prevent sex crimes in public spaces where traffickers frequent.

The release said SB 515 requires employees of bars and restaurants to report reasonable belief of suspected human trafficking or unlawful employment of minors. Senate Bill 535 adds hotel workers to the list of mandatory reporters and requires the immediate reporting of suspected child pornography by computer technicians or processors.

The chief sponsor of the legislation, Senate Republican Leader Fred Girod said “Republicans are committed to standing up for victims this session”. He said that requires legislators to give law enforcement the tools to “…prevent and stop heinous crimes in real-time”.

The release said traffickers specialize in keeping victims out of sight by constantly moving around but interact with workers at hotels and bars. Girod said the legislation empowers those workers to be vigilant and partner with law enforcement to save lives.