Coalition and sponsor back stiffer penalties for child trafficking; committee hears survivor and provider support

Senate Bill 262 would raise the minimum sentence for child trafficking in New Hampshire from seven years to 18 years and increase the maximum to life imprisonment, sponsor Senator Victoria Sullivan told the committee.

Sullivan said the change is intended to bring New Hampshire's penalties more into line with neighboring states and federal standards and to send a stronger message that trafficking of children will not be tolerated. She said publicly available statistics are limited and that trafficking is often underreported; she referenced a figure of 95 children tied to trafficking reports in the state but noted the period covered was not specified in the sources she cited.

Pamela Keilig of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, which houses the New Hampshire Human Trafficking Collaborative Task Force, testified in support. She told lawmakers the task force coordinates multidisciplinary response and that victim service providers across the state have assisted hundreds of trafficking victims in recent years; she said the majority of identified cases involved sex trafficking and that task‑force partners are working to improve identification and services.

Lawmakers asked about enforcement and whether cases are handled at the state or federal level. Keilig said many trafficking cases are prosecuted federally but that state resources, training and victim services are critical. She said in 2023 the state's crisis centers supported 81 identified trafficking victims and that in 2022 there were roughly 91 reports to the Department for Children, Youth and Families involving human trafficking.

No committee action is recorded in the hearing transcript. Supporters urged the committee to advance the bill to strengthen penalties and support services.