California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced today that he has signed the California Supply Chain Transparency Act (SB 657).
With our partners at the non-partisan coalition of U.S.-based anti-slavery organizations, Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking (ATEST), Free the Slaves signed a letter urging Schwarzenegger to sign SB 657 into law. Read our statement here (PDF).
The law requires all businesses that sell products in California and gross over $100 million a year globally, to disclose what they are doing to ensure that slavery does not exist in their supply chains.
In a statement, Schwarzenegger said:
“Human trafficking is a terrible crime that goes against basic human rights and everything our country stands for. I am proud that in California, we have enacted some of the toughest laws to punish human traffickers and protect their victims. This legislation will increase transparency, allow consumers to make better, more informed choices and motivate businesses to ensure humane practices through the supply chain.”
Other anti-slavery laws Governor Schwarzenegger has signed include AB 17, allowing law enforcement to seize the assets of convicted traffickers and SB 1569, which gives government aid to survivors of slavery. For more on Schwarzenegger’s efforts against slavery, go to the website of the Office of the Governor.
