PRESS RELEASE

AB 2451- Assemblymember Elhawary Introduces Legislation to Ensure Safeguards and Support for Children Vulnerable to Labor Trafficking

Sacramento, CA  (March 2, 2026) -- New legislation has been introduced to strengthen protections for children vulnerable to labor trafficking by amending state law to recognize labor trafficking as well as sex trafficking as a form of child abuse. For more than ten years, child welfare workers, probation officers, and other frontline professionals responsible for safeguarding children have been trained to view sex trafficking as the sole form of human trafficking, resulting in dangerous gaps in identifying and addressing child labor trafficking.

AB 2451 introduced by Assemblymember Elhawary (D-57) aims to close critical gaps in existing child protection statutes, ensuring exploited children are identified as victims and connected to appropriate services and support.

Labor trafficking of minors remains a largely hidden form of exploitation, often occurring in industries where children may be isolated, coerced, or threatened into working under unsafe and exploitative conditions. Because current legal definitions of child abuse do not always clearly encompass labor trafficking, many affected children are misidentified, overlooked, or worse, criminalized for their victimization.

This legislation would:

• Expand the statutory definition of child abuse to include labor trafficking
• Improve early identification and reporting
• Ensure survivors are connected to trauma-informed services, legal protections, and supportive resources
• Ensure that minors subjected to forced labor by forced criminality are not criminalized for their victimization but rather afforded services and support

By recognizing labor trafficking as child abuse, the bill centers exploited children as victims in need of protection and care rather than punishment.

Advocates emphasize that vulnerable children --  including migrant youth, runaway and homeless youth, and those experiencing economic hardship --  are disproportionately targeted by traffickers. The legislation seeks to equip frontline professionals with the legal clarity and tools needed to respond effectively and prevent further harm.

The bill represents a critical step toward strengthening child protection systems, improving survivor outcomes, and advancing statewide efforts to combat human trafficking in all its forms.