Ohio House passes Human Trafficking Prevention Act, raises penalties for kidnapping and trafficking

The Ohio House of Representatives on June 3 passed House Bill 47, the Human Trafficking Prevention Act, by a voice and roll call reflected as 89 affirmative votes and 0 negative, increasing penalties for certain kidnapping, abduction and human‑trafficking offenses.

Supporters described the measure as closing gaps in current law and giving prosecutors stronger tools against traffickers and those who abduct minors or hold people in forced servitude. Representative Williams, the bill sponsor, told the chamber the statute will broaden the maximum penalties for offenders, saying, “In this bill, if an individual kidnaps a minor in the state of Ohio with the intention to have *** with them against the will, they will face a potential life sentence as they should be.”

The bill’s backers framed the change as a response to Ohio’s trafficking patterns and local hotspots. Representative Nick Santucci, a joint sponsor, cited national and state hotline data and said Ohio’s location and highway infrastructure make it vulnerable to trafficking, noting “In 2024, Ohio ranked tenth in the nation for the number of cases reported to the human trafficking hotline with over 670 contacts.” Representative Synenberg, who also spoke in support, said the bill would "equip law enforcement with stronger tools to prosecute traffickers and increase protections for those most at risk of exploitation."

Nut graf: Lawmakers said the measure raises penalties and aligns sentencing with the seriousness of offenses that frequently precede trafficking and exploitation. Committee testimony and proponents listed the Ohio Domestic Violence Network, the Collaborative to End Human Trafficking, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and medical organizations among supporters.

Details and debate Supporters described specific gaps they said existed under prior law: Representative Williams said that, under the statute as he read it, kidnapping a minor with sexual intent previously carried a possible three‑year sentence, abduction to hold someone in indentured servitude carried a possible two‑year sentence, and trafficking convictions carried penalties that proponents considered too low. He argued the bill would substantially increase those maximum penalties, in some cases to life imprisonment.

Proponents also pointed to enforcement work in Northeast Ohio: Santucci cited recent task‑force arrests and an indictment related to alleged trafficking at massage parlors in the Mahoning Valley, saying local enforcement has uncovered organized activity that the sponsors want state law to better deter and punish.

Support and process Sponsors thanked the House Judiciary Committee and criminal justice stakeholders for unanimous favorable committee action. Representative Synenberg noted the statewide trafficking hotline and existing victim services and described the bill as building on those efforts.

Vote and next steps The clerk recorded 89 affirmative votes and 0 negative; the presiding officer announced that, having received the constitutional majority, the bill "is hereby passed and entitled." Representative Williams moved to amend the bill title; the chamber agreed without objection and the bill will proceed according to the legislative process for enrollment and transmission to the Senate.

Ending Supporters urged colleagues to enact the bill as a statement that Ohio will impose harsher penalties on traffickers and those who abduct or hold people in servitude. The House moved on to subsequent business after the vote.