TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis issued the following statement on the Senate Appropriations Committee’s favorable hearing of Senate Bill 1436, sponsored by Senator Garcia. Senate Bill 1436 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, “Currently, Florida ranks third in the nation in reports to the national human trafficking hotline, which is horrifying. 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 for victims and thank you to Senator Garcia for proposing this good bill. I would also like to thank Attorney General Moody and Representative Overdorf for their work on this important legislation.”