The House of Delegates unanimously gave final approval Tuesday on “Safe Harbor” legislation that would protect minors from being prosecuted for prostitution and other offenses based on sex and human trafficking.
Sponsored by Sen. Jeff Waldstreicher (D-Montgomery), Senate Bill 292 would provide that persons 17 years old and younger not be prosecuted for certain offenses if the crime resulted from the minor being a victim of trafficking.
Meanwhile, the Senate granted preliminary approval Tuesday on House Bill 297, crossfiled with the Senate bill and sponsored by Del. J. Sandra Bartlett (D-Anne Arundel).
After her colleagues voted on the Senate version, Bartlett waved and blew kisses toward the gallery at Jessica Emerson, director of the Human Trafficking Prevention Project at the University of Baltimore School of Law.
“She’s been working on this [trafficking prevention work] longer than I have. I’m just picking up the ball and taking it across the goal line,” Bartlett said after the House session. “There’s been a lot of work and advocacy that has gone into this work. I’ve had some excellent advocates. We’ve been working together and been able to get that bill out.”
The House version has one minor change based on an amendment recommended last week by the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee.
Both bills give a court 30 days to determine whether a minor is a victim of sex or human trafficking and committed an offense “as a direct result” from being trafficked.
If evidence...
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