State bolsters efforts to combat sex trafficking

An advocacy group says new and tougher laws in Nevada have improved the state’s efforts to combat human trafficking.

A report released Wednesday by the Polaris Project says laws passed by the 2013 Legislature elevated the state’s anti-trafficking legal framework to a top rating.

Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto was a key force behind several bills to define sex trafficking, stiffen criminal penalties, give more tools to law enforcement and create a fund to assist trafficking victims.

The Polaris Project report recommends Nevada create a human-trafficking task force and provide safe places for minors.

Ratings by the Washington, D.C.-based organization are determined by state laws on the books.