Monday, July 13, 2020


How CalVCB Helps Human Trafficking Survivors
Human trafficking is a $150 billion-a-year industry, but the women and men, boys and girls, trafficked for both sex and labor never see that money. When they finally manage to break free, many do not have access to funds for housing, a car, food or other essentials and can end up back with their trafficker.

In California, that's no longer the case. Survivors can now apply for up to $20,000 in income loss from the California Victim Compensation Board. The law bases the compensation on minimum wage at the time the crime occurred and caps it at $10,000 a year for up to two years. Victims must apply within seven years of the date of the crime. Minors may apply up until their 28th birthday, but CalVCB will not release the income loss funds until that minor victim turns 18.

Assembly Members Christy Smith and Lorena Gonzalez authored Assembly Bill 629, which passed the Legislature with unanimous bipartisan support and was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom. The bill closes a loophole and allows CalVCB to rely on evidence other than official employment documentation when considering and approving income loss applications for human trafficking victims.

For years, crime victims have qualified for income loss compensation through CalVCB; however, applicants need to submit formal documentation, such as a W-2 form, to prove their income. For the thousands of human trafficking victims statewide, this regulation made it impossible for them to qualify. 

That all changed on January 1, 2020, when AB 629 went into effect. Under regulations adopted by CalVCB in May, six weeks before the July 1, 2020, deadline, human trafficking victims will still need to provide CalVCB with evidence of a crime, including, but not limited to, a statement under penalty of perjury from the applicant, a caseworker, a licensed attorney or a witness, or a law enforcement report. The law applies to California residents, and those brought from other countries and trafficked in our state.

Since the beginning of the year, CalVCB has approved five human trafficking income loss applications and compensated those survivors more than $70,000.

Applicants may also qualify for medical, dental and mental health treatment, home security and relocation compensation.

Victims, advocates, representatives and attorneys can apply for compensation in several ways: