HB 1581 Summary

• Requires posting of National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline information (1-888-373-7888) at hotels, motels, strip clubs, private clubs with liquor permits, airports, train stations, bus stations, and truck stops, with posters measuring at least 8.5" x 11" in English, Spanish, and other languages as mandated by the Voting Rights Act.

• Establishes enforcement penalties for failure to post the hotline information, with a warning for first violations and fines up to $500 for second and subsequent violations; civil fines do not apply to state-owned or state-operated establishments.

• Allows persons convicted of prostitution to petition courts to seal their convictions if the conviction resulted from being a victim of human trafficking, with petitions allowed at any time regardless of when the conviction occurred.

• Adds trafficking of persons (§ 5-18-103) to the list of crimes for which the state may forfeit conveyances used in the commission or attempt of the offense.

• Requires the Department of Human Services to develop a state protocol for assisting human trafficking victims with applying for federal and state benefits and services to which they may be entitled.