State Sen. Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox says she is “very hopeful” House Bill 5476 will put Connecticut “one step closer to cracking down on human trafficking.”

She said the measure would establish a human trafficking and prevention coordinator to guide and oversee statewide efforts to combat trafficking.

“The coordinator position will be particularly helpful in making sure state agency employees have the training they need to recognize the signs of trafficking — and that that training will be effective in reducing and eventually preventing human trafficking,” she said.

Gadkar-Wilcox says the bill is expected to move to the House and Senate floors in the next few weeks.

“It’s crucial that we get these protections enshrined in the law because the human trafficking scourge is growing every day, with many of the victims hidden in plain sight. That’s why we need our boots‑on‑the‑ground state workers to be trained to spot and report signs of human trafficking,” she said.