West Virginia Senate Bill 296 (Prior Session Legislation)

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Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 6-0)
Status: Introduced on February 14 2017 - 25% progression, died in committee
Action: 2017-02-14 - To Judiciary
Pending: Senate Judiciary Committee
Text: Latest bill text (Introduced) [HTML]

The purpose of this bill is to strengthen and establish criminal offenses relating to human trafficking. The bill eliminates an existing criminal offense and penalty for human trafficking, and establishes a new article with multiple offenses and penalties. In addition to human trafficking, the bill creates felony offenses and penalties for using an individual in forced labor, debt bondage, and commercial sexual activity. The bill also creates a felony offense of patronizing an individual to engage in commercial sexual activity. The bill clarifies that each victim shall be considered a separate offense, and limits ability for parole in circumstances where the court makes a finding of aggravated circumstances. The bill provides for restitution to victims and the enforcement of a judgment order for restitution. The bill provides for disgorgement of profits and debarment from state and local government contracts. The bill provides for criminal immunity for offense of prostitution if individual was a minor at time of offense and was a victim at time of offense. The bill provides for expungement of prostitution conviction for victims of trafficking. The bill authorizes law-enforcement to use wiretaps to conduct investigations. The bill also designates the Division of Justice and Community Services to be the state administrative agency responsible for criminal justice and juvenile justice systems for the planning and development of state programs and grants relating to human trafficking.

Relating generally to human trafficking

Sen. Charles Trump [R]	Sen. Ed Gaunch [R]	Sen. Mike Hall [R]	Sen. Tom Takubo [R]
Sen. Patricia Rucker [R]	Sen. Mike Azinger [R]

Date	Chamber	Action
2017-02-14	Senate	To Judiciary
2017-02-14	Senate	Introduced in Senate
2017-02-14	Senate	To Judiciary
2017-02-14	Senate	Filed for introduction

HB2342 (Similar To) 2017-02-13 - To House Judiciary
SB70 (Similar To) 2017-02-08 - To Judiciary

Chapter	Article	Section	Citation Type	Statute Text
15	9A	2	Amended Code	Citation Text
49	1	201	Amended Code	Citation Text
61	14	1	New Code	See Bill Text
61	14	2	New Code	See Bill Text
61	14	3	New Code	See Bill Text
61	14	4	New Code	See Bill Text
61	14	5	New Code	See Bill Text
61	14	6	New Code	See Bill Text
61	14	7	New Code	See Bill Text
61	14	8	New Code	See Bill Text
61	14	9	New Code	See Bill Text
61	2	17	Repealed Code	Citation Text
62	1D	8	Amended Code	Citation Text

Type	Source
Summary	http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=296&year=2017&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill
Text	http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=sb296%20intr.htm&yr=2017&sesstype=RS&i=296