Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
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State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1609 3
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By: Representatives Lundstrum, K. Moore, Henley, Vaught, Duke, Barker, Bentley, A. Brown, K. Brown, 5
R. Burkes, Cavenaugh, Crawford, Dalby, J. Mayberry, McAlindon 6
By: Senators B. Davis, Irvin, J. English 7
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For An Act To Be Entitled 9
AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING HUMAN TRAFFICKING; 10
TO CREATE AN ENHANCED PENALTY FOR RECRUITING 11
TRAFFICKED PERSONS FROM CERTAIN PLACES; TO DECLARE AN 12
EMERGENCY; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 13
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Subtitle 16
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING HUMAN 17
TRAFFICKING; TO CREATE AN ENHANCED 18
PENALTY FOR RECRUITING TRAFFICKED 19
PERSONS FROM CERTAIN PLACES; AND TO 20
DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. 21
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 23
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SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 5, Chapter 18, Subchapter 1, is amended 25
to add an additional section to read as follows: 26
5-18-108. Enhanced liability — Certain conditions. 27
A person convicted of an offense under this chapter may be subject to 28
an enhanced sentence of an additional term of imprisonment not to exceed five 29
(5) years if the person: 30
(1) Recruited, enticed, or obtained a trafficked person from a 31
shelter or facility operating as a residential treatment center that serves 32
runaway youth, foster children, the homeless, or other persons at risk of 33
being subjected to human trafficking, domestic violence, or sexual assault; 34
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(2) Recruited, enticed, or obtained a trafficked person from a 36 HB1609
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correctional facility while the trafficked person was confined in the 1
facility. 2
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SECTION 2. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the 4
General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that human trafficking continues to 5
be a heightened concern for the state; that it is necessary to create 6
additional mechanisms to further deter human trafficking in the state; and 7
that this act is immediately necessary to punish criminals who commit human 8
trafficking against the state's most vulnerable populations. Therefore, an 9
emergency is declared to exist, and this act being immediately necessary for 10
the preservation of the public peace, health, and safety shall become 11
effective on: 12
(1) The date of its approval by the Governor; 13
(2) If the bill is neither approved nor vetoed by the Governor, 14
the expiration of the period of time during which the Governor may veto the 15
bill; or 16
(3) If the bill is vetoed by the Governor and the veto is 17
overridden, the date the last house overrides the veto. 18
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