House Advances Bill to Increase Penalties for Human Trafficking

During this morning’s House floor session, fourteen bills were passed, including House Bill 2252.

The bill increases the penalties for human trafficking from indeterminate to determinate sentences, as follows:

• Human Trafficking or aiding and abetting human trafficking of
  • An adult
    • Current: 3 to 15 years
    • In Bill: 15 to 40 years and fined up to $200,000.
  • A minor
    • Current: 5 to 20 years
    • In Bill: 25 to 100 years and fined up to $300,000
• Forced labor of
  • An Adult
    • Current: 1 to 5 years
    • In Bill: 15 to 40 years and fined up to $100,000
  • A Minor
    • Current: 3 to 20 years
    • In Bill: 25 to 100 years and fined up to $300,000
• Debt Bondage
  • An Adult
    • Current: 1 to 5 years
    • In Bill: 15 to 40 years and fined up to $100,000
  • A Minor
    • Current: 1 to 5 years
    • In Bill: 15 to 40 years and fined up to $200,00
• Sexual Servitude
  • An Adult
    • Current: 3 to 25 years
    • In Bill: 25+ years and fined up to $200,000
  • A Minor
    • Current: 10 to 20 years
    • In Bill: 50+ years and fined up to $300,000
• Patronizing a victim of sexual servitude  
  • An Adult
    • Current: 1 to 5 years
    • In Bill: 25 to 100 years and fined up to $100,000
  • A Minor
    • Current 3 to 15 years
    • In Bill: 50+ years and fined up to $300,000

***An individual who is convicted of any of these offenses will not be eligible for parole before serving half of the individual’s sentence. If the victim is a minor, the individual will not be eligible for parole at all.

Bills increasing the penalty for human trafficking have been a subject of discussion for the past few years in the legislature. Delegates stated children and immigrants are vulnerable due to language barriers, unstable homes, drug epidemic, and ease of access because of interstates passing through WV.

The bill passed unanimously and advances to the Senate for consideration.

The House is in recess until 6 p.m.

Committee Meetings, Today

• The Finance Committee will meet at 1:15 p.m. in Room 460.
• The Judiciary Committee will meet at 1:45 p.m. in Room 410.

The Judiciary Committee will hold a public hearing on Friday, Feb. 24 at 4 p.m. in the House Chamber on HB 3042 – Relating to forbidding excessive government limitations on exercise of religion.

The Committee on Energy and Manufacturing will hold a public hearing on Monday, Feb. 27 at 9 a.m. in the House Chamber on HB 3446 – Clarifying the powers and duties of Public Service Commission as to electric generating facilities.

The Committee on Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 9 a.m. in the House Chamber on HB 3157 – Relating to clarifying the duties, functions, prohibitions and restrictions applicable to the West Virginia Fusion Center.

The House reconvened at 6 p.m. to finish the agenda with bills on second and first reading.

The House is adjourned until 9 a.m. on tomorrow, Feb. 25.

Committee Meetings, Tomorrow, Feb. 25

• The Rules Committee will meet at 8:45 a.m. behind the Chamber.
• The Finance Committee will meet at 3 p.m. in Room 410.
• The Government Organization Committee will meet immediately following floor session.
• The Education Committee will meet immediately following floor session.