Overview
(August 5, 2024) – Steptoe LLP and the University of Maryland SAFE Center for Human Trafficking Survivors (UMD SAFE Center) praised Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, the county’s Task Force on Human Trafficking, and the County Council for passing groundbreaking legislation aimed at combating sex and labor trafficking in the county.
The legislation, passed unanimously on July 2, 2024, makes Prince George’s County the first local jurisdiction in the United States to adopt such measures. The new law prohibits contractors and subcontractors in the county from engaging in trafficking. Modeled after federal procurement provisions, the new law stipulates that contractors and subcontractors found involved in sex and labor trafficking, following an investigation by the Office of Human Rights, may face significant penalties. These include disbarment, suspension, contract termination, and breach of contract damages.
Susan Esserman, Steptoe partner and founder of the UMD SAFE Center, stated: "We are grateful for and inspired by the commitment shown by Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. The passage of this legislation provides an important mechanism to deter trafficking and to protect vulnerable workers against exploitation. It represents the culmination of several years of work, and we at the UMD SAFE Center and Steptoe are immensely proud to have been part of this collaborative endeavor. This law is a testament to what can be achieved when we unite for a common cause."
The Steptoe attorneys involved in this initiative were partner Susan Esserman and associate Caitlin Conroy, whose procurement knowledge ensured the effective integration of human trafficking prohibitions with technical procurement policy.
About the UMD SAFE Center
The University of Maryland Support, Advocacy, Freedom, and Empowerment (SAFE) Center for Human Trafficking Survivors provides survivor-centered and trauma-informed services that empower trafficking survivors to heal and reclaim their lives. The SAFE Center aims to prevent trafficking and better serve survivors through research and policy advocacy. The SAFE Center is an initiative of the University of Maryland Strategic Partnership: MPowering the State – a collaboration between the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) and the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP). MPowering the State leverages the sizable strengths and complementary missions of both institutions to strengthen Maryland’s innovation economy, advance interdisciplinary research, create opportunities for students, and solve important problems for the people of Maryland and the nation. Working together, UMB and UMCP achieve innovation and impact through collaboration.
About Steptoe
In more than 110 years of practice, Steptoe has earned an international reputation for vigorous representation of clients before governmental agencies, successful advocacy in litigation and arbitration, and creative and practical advice in structuring business transactions. Steptoe has more than 500 lawyers and other professional staff across offices in Beijing, Brussels, Chicago, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington. For more information, visit www.steptoe.com.
