This bill:

• defines terms;
• removes the applicability of statutory defenses to offenses concerning human trafficking or human smuggling;
• repeals a freestanding definition section and incorporates the repealed section's definitions into the human smuggling offenses in which the terms are referenced;
• amends the following offenses concerning human trafficking, including revising the name and elements of the offense, and, for some offenses, requiring specific conduct for a violation:
  • human trafficking for labor;
  • human trafficking for sexual exploitation;
  • human trafficking of a child (for labor and for sexual exploitation); and
  • human trafficking of a vulnerable adult (for labor and for sexual exploitation);
• divides the offense of aggravated human trafficking for labor or sexual exploitation into two separate offenses;
• revises the offense of benefiting from human trafficking or human smuggling:
  • to no longer be a separate criminal offense by removing penalty provisions; and
  • to add human trafficking offenses concerning vulnerable adults to the list of offenses included in the statute;
• creates the following new offenses:
  • patronizing a victim of human labor trafficking;
  • patronizing a child victim of human labor trafficking; and
  • patronizing a vulnerable adult victim of human labor trafficking;
• amends the offenses of human smuggling and aggravated human smuggling to incorporate definitions from the repealed freestanding definitions section;
• changes cross references in other statutes referencing human trafficking offenses to include citations to additional trafficking and patronizing offenses; and
• makes technical and conforming changes.