HB695 Summary

• Establishes a Center to Combat Human Trafficking within the Department of the Attorney General to coordinate state and county agencies with federal agencies in locating, recovering, and protecting human trafficking victims.

• Requires the Department of the Attorney General to employ a coordinator and assistant coordinator to develop systems addressing human trafficking, including communication networks, standardized reporting systems, trained response teams, educational programs, resource directories, and a centralized computerized database.

• Amends the sex trafficking statute to make solicitation of a minor for sex a strict liability offense, removing the negligence standard and making the victim's age an absolute liability element requiring no proof of the defendant's state of mind regarding the victim's age.

• Appropriates unspecified funds from general revenues for fiscal years 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 to establish and operate the Center to Combat Human Trafficking.

• Takes effect upon approval, with the Center establishment provisions taking effect on July 1, 2021.