Alabama is looking to become the first state to automatically sentence those who are guilty of human trafficking of a minor to life in prison.

Sponsored by state Rep. Donna Givens (R-Loxley), HB42, also known as the Sound of Freedom Act, was inspired by the movie "Sound of Freedom."

"Being a mother and a grandmother, anytime I would hear someone went missing or someone had been abducted, it would just break my heart," Givens said. "I have always been protective of my daughter and now my granddaughters. I carried two of my older grandchildren to see the movie 'Sound of Freedom' in the theaters, and when we came out of the movies, I looked at them and said 'I am going to do a bill that makes this the toughest penalty for this crime that this nation has ever had.' And I did just that."

Currently, if anyone was found guilty of sex trafficking or meeting with a minor for sexual favors, it would be considered a class A felony, which is equal to arson, murder and rape. These are punishable by 10 to 99 years in prison.

Givens' bill passed the House unanimously. It now sits in the Senate.

A study from the Department of Health and Human Services found that between 240,000 and 325,000 people are forced into sexual slavery in the United States each year. According to the Global Slavery Index, there is an estimate of more than 6,000 human trafficking victims every day in Alabama, including forced labor and sex trafficking.

According to Baldwin County Lt. Andy Ashton, there have been no human trafficking cases reported in Baldwin County.

Upon working with the District Attorney's Association, Givens said she has learned different perspectives from this bill.

"One gentleman gave me an aspect I never even considered," she said. "He looked at me and said, 'Do you know how many children you have saved with this bill from a family member, a known friend?' He went on to name grandfathers, uncles, step-daddies. This will make them think twice before they engage in such an activity."