HARRISBURG - An effort to legally define human trafficking in a broader sense as covering forced sex through prostitution, forced labor at businesses and involuntary servitude is emerging with release of a study last month by a state legislative research agency.

Pennsylvania's role as a transportation hub has led some to consider it a "pass through" state for human trafficking, but it's also a source of victims and destination for victims brought from elsewhere, according to the study by the Joint State Government Commission.

The study examines the scope of human trafficking in Pennsylvania and makes recommendations to raise awareness of the problem, toughen penalties, provide training for first responders and more help to victims.

In Pennsylvania, human trafficking can involve forced labor at a salon, prostitution at truck stops and sex-for-sale through Internet postings. On a global scale, human trafficking is considered the second largest form of organized crime after illegal drugs. An estimated 12.3 million people worldwide are victims of human trafficking.

The federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act defines sex trafficking as using force, fraud or coercion to induce a person under 18 to perform a commercial sex act and defines labor trafficking as the recruitment, harboring, transportation of a person for labor through force, fraud or coercion.

"While the crime of human trafficking is not in its infancy, combating the crime at the state level is new," the study said.

One problem identified by the study is that trafficking as a crime is not widely understood and the victims can be treated as criminals.

"If police are not specially trained to identify human trafficking, victims of sexual abuse can be incarcerated as prostitutes and forced laborers as illegals," the study added.

"We have to raise public attention and awareness of it," said Sen. Stewart Greenleaf, R-Willow Grove, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. "Without public awareness, we are not going to be able to make a dent in this."

Greenleaf sponsored a resolution authorizing the study in 2010. He plans to introduce legislation containing the study's recommendations. The issue will likely get more attention in the next legislative session that starts in January.

The senator was approached by anti-trafficking coalitions active in parts of Pennsylvania to fashion a comprehensive statewide policy.

Pennsylvania made trafficking in persons a felony offense under a 2006 state law that doesn't draw clear distinctions between sex and labor trafficking, according to the study. Pennsylvania has traditionally dealt with sexual slavery in the context of laws dealing with sex crimes and prostitution.

The study recommends creating a title of offenses related to human trafficking in the crime code. Among the specific crimes that would be prosecuted under the title are trafficking in individuals and gaining financial benefit, knowingly patronizing a victim of sexual servitude and revoking state licenses and permits for businesses that aid or participate in human trafficking.

Other recommendations call for creating a statewide council to address trafficking issues, having Pennsylvania participate in a national hot line, providing more training to first responders and more government aid to services helping victims.

The House approved legislation in May to toughen the penalty for those who traffic minors to a first-degree felony from a third-degree felony and make a parent who knowingly sells or trades a child into commercial sex subject to a second-degree felony.

A bill moving through the Senate would require specific establishments (including massage parlors, spas, commercial truck stops, airports, trains and bus stations) to post state-designed signs regarding the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline.