The Missouri House has passed legislation to require some business to hang posters advertising the national human trafficking hotline.

House lawmakers voted 139-5 Wednesday to send it to the Senate. It's the first measure the House passed during the 2018 legislative session.

The measure would require truck stops, bus stations and some hotels to hang the posters in or near bathrooms.

Republican Rep. Patricia Pike says the goal of her bill is to increase victims' access to help and increase public awareness of human trafficking.

Passing the bill was a top priority for House Republican leaders. Pike says it's one of several bills introduced this year that are aimed at combatting human trafficking in the state, which she says is a hotspot because of its central location.

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