Honorable Pete Flores, Chair, Senate Committee on Criminal Justice
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB955 by Parker (Relating to the punishment for the offense of trafficking of persons.), As Introduced
The bill would increase the penalty for the offense of trafficking of persons from a second degree felony to a first degree felony if the actor recruited, enticed, or obtained the trafficked person from a correctional facility while the trafficked person was confined in the facility. The bill would also make certain first degree felony trafficking offenses punishable with a minimum twenty-five year sentence when the offense is committed on the premises of or within 1,000 feet of the premises of a correctional facility.
Expanding the conduct constituting and increasing the penalty for an existing offense may result in additional demands upon state and local correctional resources due to a possible increase in the number of individuals placed under supervision in the community or sentenced to a term of confinement.
In fiscal year 2024, there were 64 arrests, no referrals, one placement onto adult community supervision, six admissions into an adult state correctional facility, and no admissions into a juvenile state correctional facility for the second degree felony offense of trafficking of persons. It is unknown how many of these offenses would qualify for a penalty enhancement under the bill's provisions.
It is assumed that any impact on state correctional populations or on the demand for state correctional resources would not be significant.