TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING HUMAN TRAFFICKING; TO CREATE AN ENHANCED PENALTY FOR RECRUITING TRAFFICKED PERSONS FROM CERTAIN PLACES; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.

HB 1609 increases penalties for human traffickers who recruit victims from high-risk locations. It mandates a 10-year prison sentence (up from standard penalties) if traffickers target individuals at facilities like youth shelters, correctional facilities, foster homes, childcare institutions, or juvenile detention centers. The bill directly affects traffickers who exploit vulnerable populations in these specific settings. It creates a clear legal mechanism to impose harsher sentences based on the victim’s location at the time of recruitment. The bill became law as Act 366 on March 20, 2025.