Legislature eyes package of human trafficking bills

Lawmakers in North Dakota have filed several bills aimed at combating human trafficking and providing a greater level of service to victims of that trade.

If passed, the bills would amend the language of certain criminal offenses to reflect human trafficking's role, appropriate funds to provide human trafficking victims with treatment and support services and create a statewide commission to coordinate agency efforts in that area.

Changing the language

A pair of bills under consideration in both houses of the Legislature are aimed at amending the legal language relating to the subject of human trafficking.

Senate Bill 2107 defines such terms as coercion, commercial sexual activity, debt bondage and, most notably, victim.

"'Victim' means an individual who is subjected to human trafficking ... regardless of whether a perpetrator is identified, apprehended, prosecuted or convicted," according to the definition given in the bill.

The bill would create the criminal offenses "trafficking an individual," "forced labor" and "sexual servitude," each of which would be classified as a Class A felony if the victim is a minor and a Class B felony if the victim is an adult.

Patronizing a victim of sexual servitude or commercial sexual activity would become a felony offense of varying severity depending on whether the victim was a minor or an adult.

The bill also includes language aimed at punishing businesses that engage in human trafficking, including a potential $1 million fine, and increasing the length of the sentence by up to five years if the victim of the human trafficking was recruited or coerced from a shelter.

The bill calls for shielding minor victims of human trafficking from a variety of charges, such as prostitution, theft and forgery, and would allow human trafficking victims to be eligible for restitution.

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Legislature eyes package of human trafficking bills