California State Legislature enacts C-TPAT Supply Chain Security Law

Extracted 31AUG2011 from http://logisticsportal.org/community/boards/-/message_boards/message/138978#_...

The new California law S657 requires retailers and manufacturers to inform the public about their efforts to combat slavery and human trafficking. The law takes effect on January 1, 2012. Human trafficking and slavery are crimes, and this law seeks to let consumers have information that may influence their buying decisions...

The requirements are twofold – put information on the home page of your website and have a robust compliance program that meets specific mandates. The information on the home page addresses how your company is combating human trafficking...

To the extent the evaluation was not conducted by a third party, that fact must be stated. Suppliers must be “audited” to evaluate their compliance with company standards to combat human trafficking and slavery. If the audit was not independent and unannounced, that fact must also be disclosed. Direct suppliers must “certify” that “materials incorporated into the product" comply with their local laws. The company must also maintain “internal accountability standards and procedures” for contractor employees who fail to meet company standards and provide training to company employees and management with direct responsibility for supply chain management, especially with respect to “mitigating risks” in the supply chain.