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Sponsor presents Human Trafficking Safe Harbor amendments; floor vote opened
Summary
Representative Romero presented first substitute HB 206 to classify child victims of trafficking as victims rather than delinquent offenders, require DCFS services, and amend juvenile abuse definitions; floor debate concluded and voting was opened on the bill.
Representative Romero presented first substitute HB 206 (Human Trafficking Safe Harbor Amendments) on Feb. 22, framing the bill as a child-welfare response that shifts treatment of minors engaged in prostitution or solicitation from delinquency processing to receiving services from the Division of Child and Family Services.
Romero told the House that victims of child trafficking are among the most vulnerable and often have extensive histories of abuse and complex trauma. "Subjecting children victims of trafficking to delinquency proceedings further traumatizes these children... while restricting their access to critical services and protection," Romero said. The bill requires DCFS to provide services to any child engaged in prostitution or solicitation, bars such children from delinquency proceedings and amends the juvenile court act's definition of abuse to include trafficking of a child for sexual exploitation.
The sponsor said HB 206 had support from the CCJJ, Utah Sentencing Commission, Utah Council on Victims of Crime and the Utah Board of Juvenile Justice. Floor discussion saw no lights and the sponsor gave summation; the clerk then opened voting on the first substitute HB 206. The transcript provided the floor presentation and shows voting was opened but does not include a final roll-call tally.
