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Advocates and survivors press for narrow hearsay exception for trafficking victims; sex‑worker groups warn of harms (HB 4,157)
Summary
Supporters said HB 4,157, which would allow certain out‑of‑court statements by trafficking victims within 24 hours to be admitted if reliable, would help prosecutions when survivors cannot safely testify. Opponents, including sex‑worker advocacy groups, urged excluding 'promoting prostitution' from the exception and called for more stakeholder engagement.
The House Judiciary Committee heard more than five hours of testimony Monday on House Bill 4,157, a proposal to create a limited hearsay exception for victims of human trafficking and certain related crimes.
Representative Thuy Tran, the bill sponsor, said the measure is narrowly targeted to ensure reliable, recorded statements or those made to trained professionals within 24 hours of a commercial sex act can be admitted when a survivor cannot safely appear in court. "We are essentially allowing traffickers to…
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