Senate Bill 331 Summary

• Repeals and rewrites Missouri's human trafficking statutes (sections 566.200-566.223) to expand definitions and strengthen penalties for trafficking offenses.

• Defines new criminal offenses including abusing individuals through forced labor (class B felony), trafficking for slavery or forced labor (class B felony), and trafficking for sexual exploitation (class B felony).

• Establishes sexual trafficking of children under 18 as a class A felony and sexual trafficking of children under 12 as a felony with mandatory life imprisonment without parole eligibility for at least 25 years.

• Requires courts to order restitution to trafficking victims regardless of whether the defendant receives imprisonment or probation, including amounts for mental and physical rehabilitation.

• Provides trafficking victims with civil action rights to recover actual damages, court costs, attorney's fees, and punitive damages within three years; authorizes the Attorney General to seek civil penalties up to $50,000 per violation.