TO:	Honorable Joe Moody, Chair, House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence
FROM:	Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB3553 by Thierry (Relating to increasing the criminal penalty for the offense of trafficking of persons if committed at certain locations.), As Introduced

The bill would increase the penalty for the offense of trafficking of persons to a first degree felony with a minimum 25 year term of imprisonment if the offense is committed within 1,000 feet of an institution of higher education or a private or independent institution of higher education. Under current law, such conduct is punishable as a second degree felony or first degree felony depending on the circumstances of the offense.

Increasing the penalty for an existing offense may result in additional demands upon state correctional resources due to a possible increase in the number of individuals confined and in the length of stay for individuals sentenced to a term of confinement.

In fiscal year 2022, there were 123 individuals arrested, 2 individuals placed on adult community supervision, 1 individual placed on juvenile community supervision, 25 individuals admitted into an adult state correctional institution, and no individuals admitted into a juvenile state correctional institution for the offense of trafficking of persons which may have been subject to increased punishment if committed at a location outlined in the bill's provisions. However, statewide data is not available to determine if any of these cases were committed at a location outlined in the bill's provisions.