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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | December 8, 2014 01:29 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Joseph T. Hackett |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Increasing Grading for Trafficking of Infants (Former HB 2088) |
| Human trafficking and protecting children in Pennsylvania has been a focal point of the legislature in recent sessions. That is why I intend to reintroduce House Bill 2088 from last session, which reclassifies the offense of trafficking of infants as a first degree felony. It is currently a first degree misdemeanor. House Bill 2088 passed from the House unanimously last session, but stalled in the Senate. In 2006, the legislature amended our Crimes Code to create the offense of “trafficking of persons”. Under current law, an individual who engages in human trafficking by recruiting, harboring, transporting or providing persons to engage in “forced labor or services” may be charged with a felony of the second degree; or, if the victim was under 18, a felony of the first degree. Infants, of course, are incapable of being forced to engage in labor or services, so would not be subject to the enhanced felony of the first degree grading for the human trafficking of minors. I believe those who traffic in infants should be subject to that same felony of the first degree grading. My legislation will amend Title 18 to build on Pennsylvania’s commitment to respond to the human tragedy that is brought about by human trafficking. I hope you will join me in sponsoring this legislation. Please contact Kevin Andrews in my office (kandrews@pahousegop.com or 610-461-5543) if you have any questions. |
Introduced as HB185