Gov. Brian Kemp and first lady Marty Kemp—who have both actively campaigned for tougher enforcement against all kinds of human trafficking—have outlined legislation they plan to back this year directed at that cause.

The Kemps said Wednesday they plan to work with Georgians for Refuge, Action, Compassion, and Education (GRACE) Commission members and legislators focusing on three key legislative measures to combat human trafficking during the 2020 legislative session.

"Traveling across our state, I have talked to many survivors," Marty Kemp said in a joint news release with her husband. "I have assured them that Georgia is listening to them, and now—through this legislation—we are finally giving them a voice."

"This legislation is a true testament to Marty's commitment to dismantle this criminal industry for good," Brian Kemp said in the news release. "By seeking justice for victims and holding bad actors accountable, we are sending a strong message that human trafficking has no place in Georgia."

The Kemps said legislation will be announced in the coming days to accomplish three goals:

• Create new pathways for record restriction for survivors;
• Close loopholes in sex offender registry and improper sexual contact code; and
• Permanently revoke commercial driver's licenses for those convicted of using commercial vehicles to traffic in labor or sexual servitude.

The Kemps said the legislation was developed in close coordination with the organization Rescuing Hope and its executive director Susan Norris, along with members of the GRACE Commission.

Last year, anti-human trafficking legislation (H.B. 281) boosted penalties for pimping and pandering, making them felony offenses upon the second conviction, the Kemps noted. Under current law, keeping a place of prostitution, pimping and pandering also are felonies if the victim is younger than 18.

However, they said, Georgia's sex offender registry code was never changed to require registration for any of those three offenses. In addition, a felony conviction for burglary with intent to rape was not listed as a conviction requiring registration as a sex offender. Under the expected legislation, those felony convictions will require registration.

The Kemps said law enforcement has requested closing a loophole in the "custodial sexual contact" code by adding the offenses of improper sexual contact by a foster parent. The legislation will seek to broaden those offenses to include improper sexual contact between a teacher and student through 12th grade. The legislation also is expected to include law enforcement officers and those in their custody, as well as hospital employees and patients.

The driver's license ban is worded to match a federal rule passed this past summer through the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Kemps said. The new legislation will allow the Georgia Department of Driver's Services to revoke a person's commercial driver's license and permanently disqualify him or her from driving a commercial motor vehicle if he or she is convicted of trafficking an individual for labor servitude or sexual servitude in violation of O.C.G.A. 16-5-46 and used the commercial motor vehicle to commit the offense.