Committee rejects motion to move trafficking bill to appropriations; later postpones House Bill 11‑45

Representative Bottoms presented House Bill 11‑45 to the House Judiciary Committee as legislation criminalizing transport of minors across state lines for the purpose of obtaining abortion or gender‑affirming care, describing it as a tool to combat human trafficking. She said the bill would make transporting minors across state lines for those purposes a class‑2 felony.

The hearing drew intense and sustained testimony from both supporters and opponents. Supporters described cases they called trafficking and urged stronger criminal penalties. Testimony in support included parents, clergy, physicians and advocacy groups who argued that minors are vulnerable and that some traffickers or perpetrators move children out of state to avoid local detection; several witnesses urged…