HB 14-1273: Human Trafficking

• Establishes comprehensive criminal statutes distinguishing human trafficking for involuntary servitude (Class 3 felony, Class 2 for minors) and human trafficking for sexual servitude (Class 3 felony, Class 2 for minors), with detailed definitions of coercion methods including physical force, threats, debt bondage, and exploitation of vulnerabilities.

• Creates the Colorado Human Trafficking Council within the Department of Public Safety with diverse membership from government agencies, law enforcement, victim services, nonprofits, and survivor representatives to coordinate anti-trafficking efforts, develop training standards, and provide annual recommendations to the legislature.

• Expands victim protections by requiring restitution for human trafficking convictions regardless of victim availability, allowing minors to be trafficked victims without consent defenses, and clarifying that human trafficking convictions do not preclude separate sex offense charges.

• Updates numerous statutes across Colorado law to reference the new human trafficking offenses (replacing outdated provisions), including sex offender registration, victim testimony protections, civil damages recovery, and juvenile delinquency procedures.

• Appropriates $263,796 and 1.8 FTE to the Department of Public Safety for fiscal year 2014-2015 to support the council; effective July 1, 2014, with council subject to sunset review on September 1, 2019.