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Survivor testimony helps unanimous subcommittee move human‑trafficking training bill forward
Summary
H.4343, requiring human‑trafficking awareness and prevention training for nurses, physicians and physician assistants, advanced out of subcommittee after survivor testimony and an attorney‑general amendment aligning training with the South Carolina Human Trafficking Task Force.
A subcommittee advanced H.4343, a bill that would add human‑trafficking awareness and prevention training as a continuing‑education requirement for certain licensed health professionals, after survivor testimony and an amendment from the attorney general's office.
Staff described H.4343 as requiring completion of a human‑trafficking awareness and prevention course for licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, advanced practice registered nurses and specified physicians and physician assistants. The training would be required starting Jan. 1, 2026, and every six years thereafter for currently licensed professionals; approved training must be provided by, or comport with guidance from, relevant licensing boards and the South Carolina Human Trafficking Task Force healthcare subcommittee.
Monique Garvin, identified herself as director of the South Carolina Human Trafficking Task Force survivor advisory subcommittee, told the panel the bill "aligns human‑trafficking training for health care providers" with the task force's state plan and would provide consistent statewide training.
A witness who identified herself as a survivor, Heather Pagan, delivered extended testimony describing repeated medical encounters in which her trafficking and abuse were not recognized. "I was repeatedly seen by health care professionals, yet I was never truly seen," Pagan said, and urged lawmakers to require trauma‑informed, survivor‑centered training so clinicians can spot red flags, safely separate patients from controlling individuals and connect victims to services when they are ready.
Committee members thanked the witnesses, and staff noted an amendment from the attorney general to ensure training materials align with the task force's healthcare subcommittee guidance. A motion to adopt the amendment and then the bill was made and seconded; the committee recorded unanimous approval to move H.4343 forward.
What happens next: H.4343 was advanced by the subcommittee and will proceed to the next committee stage with the attorney general's alignment amendment attached.
