New Texas Specialty License Plate

A new specialty license plate that will raise awareness about human trafficking and support survivors will be available for purchase in Texas on February 20, according to a report.

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission, along with Governor Greg Abbott, unveiled the license plate last Thursday, January 19, per a press release.

It is fitting that the unveiling ceremony took place in January, which is National Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

The plate reads “stop human trafficking.” There is also a website where people can report suspicious activity.

The proceeds from the license plates will go toward the HHSC’s Stop Human Trafficking donation program, which funds the treatment and housing of young survivors of human trafficking.

The specialty license plate is part of House Bill 2633, which Abbott signed in June of 2021. This bill helped provide resources to survivors of human trafficking in Texas, part of which included setting up the specialty license plate. Last January, there was a design contest to decide what the plate would look like. Mary B. Carr, who works as a professional counselor in Houston for human trafficking designs, won the contest.

The license plates are meant to draw attention to this horrible crime that is often “hidden in plain sight,” per Megan Bermea, the director of the HHSC’s Office of Family Services. As Bermea said in a release, “We hope this new specialty license plate will bring the issue to light and gain the attention of more people who can help prevent the exploitation of vulnerable people.”

Anyone who spots any suspicious activity and suspects potential human trafficking should report it to the Texas Department of Public Safety at iwatchtexas.org.

About 25% of the victims of human trafficking are children, according to Upbring. Additionally, Texas is second in the nation for reported cases of human trafficking. In 2020, there were 987 reported cases in the state, but it is suspected that the actual number of people being trafficked in Texas is closer to around 300,000.