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House Judiciary committee adopts substitute to increase penalties in human‑trafficking bill
Summary
The Utah House Judiciary Committee voted 7–1 to adopt the first substitute to House Bill 405, raising penalties for certain human‑trafficking offenses while opponents urged narrowing the statute and restoring judicial discretion over mandatory minimums.
At a House Judiciary Committee meeting, members voted 7–1 to adopt the first substitute to House Bill 405, titled "human trafficking and smuggling amendments," sending the substitute to a favorable recommendation for consideration by the full House.
Representative Perucci, the bill sponsor, told the committee she picked up the measure from former Representative Birkland and said the substitute narrows the measure to focus on human trafficking rather than smuggling and increases penalty ranges for some trafficking offenses. "I've been here almost 6 years, and I've never presented in the House Judiciary, so I'm very excited to be here," Perucci said while introducing the substitute and reviewing statistics she said motivated the change.
The sponsor told the committee the bill would increase the statutory punishment for human trafficking of a child and raise penalties for…
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