Bill Text: NH HB405 | 2025 | Regular Session | Introduced

New Hampshire House Bill 405

Introduced

Bill Title: Establishing a committee to study approaches to combat store-front sex trafficking in New Hampshire.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-22 - Subcommittee Work Session: 01/29/2025 10:00 am Legislative Office Building 202-204 [HB405 Detail]

Download: New_Hampshire-2025-HB405-Introduced.html

HB 405 - AS INTRODUCED

2025 SESSION

25-0806

09/05

HOUSE BILL 405

AN ACT establishing a committee to study approaches to combat store-front sex trafficking in New Hampshire.

SPONSORS: Rep. Layon, Rock. 13

COMMITTEE: Criminal Justice and Public Safety

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ANALYSIS

This bill establishes a committee to study approaches to combat store-front sex trafficking in New Hampshire and provides duties thereto.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

25-0806

09/05

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five

AN ACT establishing a committee to study approaches to combat store-front sex trafficking in New Hampshire.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Committee Established; Term Defined. There is established a committee to study approaches to combat store-front sex trafficking in New Hampshire. For the purposes of this committee, “store-front” shall refer to businesses in multi-unit commercial businesses which typically appear to be massage parlors or similar operations where individuals, typically immigrant women or children, are moved from location to location to avoid law enforcement.

2 Membership and Compensation.

I. The members of the committee shall be as follows:

(a) Three members of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.

(b) One member of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate.

II. Members of the committee shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the committee.

III. The committee may solicit input from any person or entity the committee deems relevant to its study.

3 Duties. The committee's study shall include, but not be limited to:

I. Review prior legislative attempts to combat store-front sex trafficking of individuals, including the reasons these attempts were unsuccessful.

II. Review non-legislative efforts to combat store-front sex trafficking of individuals, including the efficacy of these attempts and lessons learned.

III. Solicit and review input from organizations, business owners, and individuals on:

(a) Prior attempts to combat store-front sex trafficking.

(b) Minimizing impact on legitimate businesses.

IV. Consider non-traditional approaches, including allowing the termination of leases for entities suspected of sex trafficking that do not comply with duly authorized warrants or investigations as required under proposed legislation.

V. Solicit information regarding individuals who return to sex work in these conditions after receiving assistance to leave this work, in order to differentiate between continued victimization and willing participation in sex work, and the different approaches needed for these groups.

VI. If the committee finds that men are being sex trafficked in similar ways in New Hampshire, ensure protections are appropriately extended to all persons victimized in store-front sex trafficking in New Hampshire.

VII. Investigate ways to bring justice to those facilitating and participating in sex trafficking in New Hampshire.

VIII. Draft its proposal for legislation that would be intended for introduction in the 2026 session, reflecting the findings and conclusions of the committee.

4 Chairperson; Quorum. The members of the study committee shall elect a chairperson and a clerk from among the members. The first meeting of the committee shall be called by the first-named house member. The first meeting of the committee shall be held within 45 days of the effective date of this section. Three members of the committee shall constitute a quorum.

5 Report. The committee shall report its findings and any recommendations for proposed legislation to the speaker of the house of representatives, the president of the senate, the house clerk, the senate clerk, the governor, and the state library on or before December 1, 2025.

6 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.