TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis issued the following statement on the House’s favorable passage of House Bill 615, Human Trafficking, sponsored by Representative Overdorf. House Bill 615 directs the Statewide Council on Human Trafficking to develop human trafficking training for firesafety inspectors. This training will provide information on how to identify children that are at risk, and the steps that should be taken, to prevent children from becoming victims of human trafficking. The bill moves next to the Senate Floor.

CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “It is a horrifying statistic that Florida ranks third in the nation in reports to the national human trafficking hotline. If we can train the men and women who regularly inspect buildings to detect and recognize common indicators, we will have a great chance at fighting human trafficking throughout our state. This legislation is an important step in the right direction and thank you to Representative Overdorf for being such a strong advocate for victims and for proposing this good bill. I would also like to thank Attorney General Moody and Senator Garcia for their work on this important legislation.”

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About CFO Jimmy Patronis 
Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis is a statewide elected official and a member of Florida’s Cabinet who oversees the Department of Financial Services. CFO Patronis works each day to fight insurance fraud, support Florida’s firefighters, and ensure the state’s finances are stable to support economic growth in the state. Follow the activities of the Department on Facebook (FLDFS) and X (@FLDFS).