REFERENCE TITLE: child sex trafficking; juvenile defendants State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-seventh Legislature First Regular Session 2025 HB 2207 Introduced by Representative Bliss AN ACT amending section 13-720, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to sentencing and imprisonment. (TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
REFERENCE TITLE: child sex trafficking; juvenile defendants
State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-seventh Legislature First Regular Session 2025
HB 2207
Introduced by Representative Bliss
REFERENCE TITLE: child sex trafficking; juvenile defendants
State of Arizona
House of Representatives
Fifty-seventh Legislature
First Regular Session
2025
HB 2207
Introduced by
Representative Bliss
AN ACT
amending section 13-720, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to sentencing and imprisonment.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona: Section 1. Subject to the requirements of article IV, part 1, section 1, Constitution of Arizona, section 13-720, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read: START_STATUTE13-720. Child sex trafficking; felony; natural life; sentencing A. Notwithstanding any other law, if a person is convicted of a class 2 felony for child sex trafficking pursuant to section 13-3212, the person shall be sentenced to imprisonment in the custody of the state department of corrections for natural life. A person who is sentenced to natural life is not eligible for any form of release. B. A person shall not be sentenced to natural life pursuant to this section if the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the person was under eighteen years of age at the time of the commission of the offense and that the person was in fact a victim of child sex trafficking pursuant to section 13-3212 committed by another person before the person committed the offense for which the person was convicted. END_STATUTE Sec. 2. Legislative intent The legislature intends to amend section 13-720, Arizona Revised Statutes, as amended by this act, in order to preserve the rights of juveniles under the eighth amendment of the United States Constitution. Sec. 3. Requirements for enactment; three-fourths vote Pursuant to article IV, part 1, section 1, Constitution of Arizona, section 13-720, Arizona Revised Statutes, as amended by this act, is effective only on the affirmative vote of at least three-fourths of the members of each house of the legislature.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Subject to the requirements of article IV, part 1, section 1, Constitution of Arizona, section 13-720, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
START_STATUTE13-720. Child sex trafficking; felony; natural life; sentencing
A. Notwithstanding any other law, if a person is convicted of a class 2 felony for child sex trafficking pursuant to section 13-3212, the person shall be sentenced to imprisonment in the custody of the state department of corrections for natural life. A person who is sentenced to natural life is not eligible for any form of release.
B. A person shall not be sentenced to natural life pursuant to this section if the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the person was under eighteen years of age at the time of the commission of the offense and that the person was in fact a victim of child sex trafficking pursuant to section 13-3212 committed by another person before the person committed the offense for which the person was convicted. END_STATUTE
Sec. 2. Legislative intent
The legislature intends to amend section 13-720, Arizona Revised Statutes, as amended by this act, in order to preserve the rights of juveniles under the eighth amendment of the United States Constitution.
Sec. 3. Requirements for enactment; three-fourths vote
Pursuant to article IV, part 1, section 1, Constitution of Arizona, section 13-720, Arizona Revised Statutes, as amended by this act, is effective only on the affirmative vote of at least three-fourths of the members of each house of the legislature.