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Committee amends solicitation statute to criminalize purchasers and to expand services for trafficking victims
Summary
House Bill 5 was reported as amended to increase penalties for commercial sexual‑activity buyers and to add protections and services for victims identified as trafficking victims; the committee adopted technical changes with input from the governor’s anti‑trafficking office.
House Bill 5, sponsored by Rep. Jackson, was reported as amended after the committee adopted changes developed with the governor’s office on human trafficking prevention. The amendment makes purchase of commercial sexual activity a felony in certain circumstances and raises minimum fines where victims are trafficked or under age.
The committee’s amendment mirrors provisions in other states that prioritize criminal penalties for buyers and include a statutory pathway for victims identified as trafficking victims to receive specialized services. The amended language clarifies that a person who is a victim of trafficking should not be prosecuted for soliciting prostitution when their involvement is the direct result of trafficking. The bill also designates solicitation of a person under age 14 as a more serious offense under state law.
The governor’s office (represented by Mary Kate Andrepont) and human-trafficking advocates worked with the sponsor on the amendment; the committee adopted the changes and reported the bill without recorded opposition.
Why this matters: The amendments shift statutory focus toward buyers and create clearer statutory protections for victims who have been coerced into commercial sexual activity; the committee accepted the changes and advanced the bill for further action.
