Assemblywoman Jessica Ramirez (D-32) wants to restore the New Jersey Commission on Human Trafficking after it has been unable to function for years due to lack of quorum.
“It is unacceptable that a body created by law to protect some of our most vulnerable residents has been hamstrung by technical rules. With A-5455 we restore its capacity to investigate, advise, and safeguard the dignity of victims across New Jersey,” Ramirez said in a statement.
She has introduced Bill A-5455 in an effort to fill the vacant seats on the 17-member board.
According to their own 2021-2022 report, it was “unable to conduct official business due to a lack of quorum.”
That means a body expressly established to evaluate laws, review victim assistance services, coordinate public-private responses, raise awareness of trafficking, and issue annual reports has been largely inactive. The mandate is clear. The execution has failed.
Meanwhile, New Jersey remains one of the most vulnerable states in the country to human trafficking. Its dense population, major transit corridors, and status between major metropolitan hubs contribute to the risk.
In 2024 alone, the National Human Trafficking Hotline documented 884 signals from New Jersey, with 269 confirmed cases involving 354 victims.
The contrast between this urgent need and the commission’s inability to act is stark.
Additionally, Ramirez’s bill addresses one core barrier: Under current law the commission must present a majority of all authorized seats in order to meet a quorum, even if many seats are unfilled. A-5455 changes the rule so that a majority of filled seats is sufficient.
The change is narrow, practical, and written in consultation with the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office. The result is that the commission can meet again.
They have the ability to review laws, issue reports, recommend reforms, coordinate services for survivors, and shine a light where darkness persists.
The bill has been submitted for the posting process before the Assembly Judiciary Committee and Ramirez calls on the committee’s leadership to move it swiftly so the much-needed oversight returns.