The House State Affairs Committee in Juneau is set to hear a bill on Thursday, Feb. 20 that deals with prostitution and sex trafficking. The bill will be heard at 3 p.m. and will be teleconferenced. No public testimony, however, will be taken.
House Bill 225 and its accompanying Senate Bill 156 were introduced at the bequest of Gov. Mike Dunleavy. These identical bills create stiff penalties for sex traffickers, especially those abusing minors. They would also require that convicted sex traffickers be listed on the state’s sex offender registry. Additionally, a new crime would be created for those who seek out underage victims for sex trafficking. Those convicted of prostitution while being sex trafficked would be able to have their conviction vacated.
