AR SB429

Courts must issue mandatory no-contact orders when defendants are charged with offenses under the Human Trafficking Act of 2013, in addition to any other conditions of release from custody

Human trafficking victims are added to the definition of "victim" under Arkansas victims' rights law, granting them the same rights as victims of sex offenses, violent crimes, and offenses against minors

Minors who were victims of human trafficking can now petition to seal any criminal conviction resulting from being trafficked, expanding beyond the previous limitation to only prostitution convictions for adults

Adults convicted of prostitution while being trafficked can file a petition at any time to seal the conviction if they prove by preponderance of evidence they were a victim of human trafficking at the time of the offense

Official documentation from federal, state, or local government agencies verifying trafficking victim status creates a presumption that the conviction resulted from being trafficked, though such documentation is not required to grant a sealing petition