Assessing Washington's State-Level Human Trafficking Awareness Efforts

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Human trafficking is an illegal practice that exploits people, often targeting those who are vulnerable. It involves using force, fraud or coercion to make someone perform any type of work, including sex or other labor. Human trafficking happens in Washington, but many people may not recognize it when they see it.

Because human trafficking exists here, the state must raise public awareness about it. Even more important, people who are exploited need to know that help is available and they are not alone. Washington’s statewide efforts to raise awareness about both sex and labor trafficking can help everyone identify it as a crime and so be better able to connect survivors with services they need.

This audit aimed to better understand Washington’s human trafficking awareness work at the state level and identify opportunities to improve it. We reviewed a selection of state-level human trafficking awareness responsibilities under state law and evaluated the actions of five state agencies. We also looked at expert reports and laws in other states to find leading practices and see where Washington’s laws may have gaps, making recommendations to help close them.

Read a two-page summary of the report (PDF).

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Key results

This performance audit provides an important survey of human trafficking awareness efforts at five state agencies. Those agencies are tasked with addressing awareness in their areas of service.

  • Five audited agencies carried out many required activities, with many voluntarily going over and above legal requirements
  • Updating state laws and some agency materials could improve Washington’s human trafficking awareness activities 
  • The Washington State Task Force Against the Trafficking of Persons is well positioned to consider and recommend to legislators needed updates and expansions of state awareness requirements.

Additionally, this report includes a number of leading practices from other states, listed in more detail in an appendix.

Background

Raising awareness is an important early step that can help identify cases, then connect survivors of human trafficking with services they need. Two of the most common awareness tools are poster campaigns and awareness trainings.

In Washington, many organizations have responsibilities related to human trafficking awareness. They include government agencies, nonprofit organizations and multidisciplinary groups. The Washington Task Force Against the Trafficking of Persons is responsible for making legislative recommendations to further the state’s anti-trafficking efforts.

Agencies generally met requirements

The audit examined efforts at five state agencies with important human trafficking awareness responsibilities, listed below. We found they carried out many required and recommended human trafficking awareness activities. 

  • The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) conducts awareness activities for groups who work with children and youth. The agency updated its mandatory reporting poster to include trafficking, reported it is completing required screening for children, and offers awareness training for various groups including those within the child welfare community, juvenile rehabilitation and child care.
  • The Department of Commerce administers a statewide awareness training program for some criminal justice personnel. The agency coordinated four training sessions for law enforcement and prosecutors across the state in 2024 and 2025.
  • The Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) addressed trafficking awareness on posters and in a training for adult entertainers. Staff said the agency also offers training to employees that has helped them identify some possible cases of human trafficking.
  • The Department of Transportation (WSDOT) installed awareness signage at rest areas statewide, and also went beyond requirements with other posters and training.
  • The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) reviewed and posted curricular resources to help school districts educate students about sex trafficking.

Updating laws and agency materials

Outdated laws and materials may be hampering Washington’s efforts to raise awareness about human trafficking. For example, Commerce created a required model poster in 2016, but it has never been updated. Commerce staff also said they have not shared information with medical, mental health, or social work groups for several years.

Another issue in both outdated laws and agency materials is that a phone number listed in state law for people seeking help no longer works. Even though posters that show this number usually include other numbers to call, someone experiencing exploitation might finally find a chance to seek help—only to have their call go unanswered.

Leading practices could close gaps in state laws

Leading practices and other states suggest Washington has other gaps and weaknesses in its awareness laws. It lacks state laws requiring training for certain categories of workers recommended by leading practices. It also lacks nondiscretionary laws about signs in some locations recommended by leading practices.

In addition, some state laws and activities focus on sex trafficking, which can obscure the urgency of labor trafficking awareness. This includes laws for screening children, training criminal justice personnel, educating students and training teachers.

Washington’s Task Force Against the Trafficking of Persons is well positioned to consider expanding the state’s human trafficking awareness laws. However, by adding activities to align state laws with leading practices, Washington’s agencies may face resource concerns.

Recommendations

We recommended Washington’s Task Force Against the Trafficking of Persons evaluate the state’s human trafficking awareness efforts to better align them with leading practices and other states. After evaluating how best to update certain state laws, we recommend the task force then make recommendations to the Legislature accordingly.

We also recommended Commerce’s Office of Crime Victims Advocacy update certain awareness materials.