Iowa Sec. of State Pate IBAT initiative named finalist for national award
Credit: Iowa Secretary of State
(ABC 6 News) – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate’s Iowa Businesses Against Trafficking (IBAT) initiative is one of three finalists up for a national award.
IBAT is in the running for the National Association of Secretaries of State’s (NASS) 2023 IDEAS (Innovation, Dedication, Excellence & Achievement in Service) Award.
IBAT is a member organization which raises awareness for human trafficking and promotes Safe at Home, Iowa’s address confidentiality program for victims of violent crime.
“Iowa Businesses Against Trafficking is making a difference in communities across our state. The fact that it’s being recognized nationally is a huge honor,” Secretary Pate said. “With this initiative, we have the ability to not only raise awareness to recognize the signs of human trafficking, but also work to end this horrible crime.”
The idea of IBAT came to light in August of 2021 and quickly reached 100 members just before the public launch of the initiative. Today, IBAT has reached more than 630 members across the state and continues to grow.
Other states have followed suit working to end human trafficking. Mississippi recently launched Mississippi Businesses Against Trafficking (MBAT).
The NASS IDEAS Award was established in 2011 to recognize significant state contributions to the NASS mission. The award honors outstanding programs and achievements of NASS member offices.
For more information on the Iowa Businesses Against Trafficking program, CLICK HERE.