Increases penalties for human trafficking of children.

This bill (A 296) increases penalties for human trafficking involving children under 18 in New Jersey. It expands the definition of human trafficking to cover all forms of child exploitation (both sexual and labor), not just sexual activity. Offenders face mandatory life imprisonment without parole, a $25,000 fine (funded to a victim assistance program), and restitution based on the victim’s labor value. The law directly affects individuals convicted of trafficking children, replacing current penalties that allowed parole eligibility after 20 years. This change applies to all child trafficking offenses, regardless of whether the perpetrator mistakenly believed the child was 18 or older.