As co-sponsor of a 2007 bill to create a study commission on human labor and sex traffic, Suzanne was appointed to the commission and became chair. The impetus for the study was an incident in the state concerning a young woman who had been held in captivity for sex and managed to escape and call for help. Unfortunately, once she was in a "safe house" she panicked and disappeared before authorities could identify her captors.
The final report from the commission is due in November 2008. It will include findings and recommendations to the General Court. In short, there is not a lot of evidence of widespread trafficking in NH, although there was also a well-publicized account of labor trafficking in Litchfield. It is the belief of many experts that the lack of evidence does not mean the problem does not exist. The commission's intent is to focus on educating the people most likely to come in contact with trafficked individuals about how to recognize the signs of trafficking and what the state can do to protect these victims once they're identified.
Although federal laws exist to punish traffickers, these legal efforts often take a lot of time. Thus, several states have established their own laws, particularly ones to protect victims.
To learn more about human trafficking, see the U.S. Dept. of State's website here.