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OLR Bill Analysis
sHB 7236
AN ACT CONCERNING HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND SEXUAL
ASSAULT VICTIMS.
SUMMARY
This bill makes various changes in laws related to sexual assault and
human trafficking victims (see definitions below).
First, the bill changes the composition of the Trafficking in Persons
Council by (1) increasing its membership, from 36 to 37, by adding the
Department of Transportation commissioner, or his designee and (2)
removing the specified qualifications of one of the governor’s four
appointees (§ 1).
The bill also makes sexual assault victim status and trafficking in
persons victim status protected classes under the Commission on
Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) antidiscrimination laws. It
does so by prohibiting various forms of discrimination based on
someone’s status as a sexual assault or human trafficking victim, such
as in employment, public accommodations, housing sales or rentals,
granting credit, and several other areas. In several cases, the bill
classifies discrimination on this basis as a “discriminatory practice”
under the CHRO laws. By doing so, it allows CHRO or individuals
aggrieved by these violations to file a complaint with CHRO alleging
discrimination (§§ 2-15).
The bill also creates an affirmative defense for certain offenders
charged with a misdemeanor (1) who were minors (under age 18) at the
time they committed the offense and (2) whose participation in the
offense was a result of having been a human trafficking victim (§ 16).
Lastly, it allows the mandatory human trafficking awareness course
to be provided in any format, rather than only by video. By law, the
Department of Children and Families (DCF) in consultation with the 2025HB-07236-R000754-BA.DOCX
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Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP),
must develop and provide this training program for specified
professionals, such as law enforcement officers, judges, public
defenders, and certain professionals who have contact with students (§
17).
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2025, except the provisions increasing
the council’s membership and revising DCF’s training program are
effective upon passage.
§ 1 — TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS COUNCIL
The bill changes the composition of the Trafficking in Persons
Council in two ways. First, it increases the membership, from 36 to 37,
by adding the Department of Transportation commissioner, or his
designee. Second, it changes one of the governor’s four appointees by
no longer requiring him to specifically appoint an adult trafficking
victim but instead requires him to add a fourth member of the public
without specifying any qualifications.
Existing law, unchanged by the bill, specifies that the governor’s
appointees who are members of the public must represent each of the
following groups: (1) victims of commercial exploitation of children, (2)
sex trafficking victims who are children, and (3) a coalition of children’s
advocacy centers and multidisciplinary teams that are dedicated to
serving child abuse victims and their families.
By law, among other things, the Trafficking in Persons Council
coordinates human trafficking data collection and consults with
government and nongovernment organizations in developing
recommendations to strengthen state and local efforts to prevent
trafficking, protect and help victims, and prosecute traffickers.
§§ 2-15 — SEXUAL ASSAULT AND H UMAN TRAFFICKING VICTIMS
AS PROTECTED CLASS U NDER ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAWS
The bill prohibits various forms of discrimination based on
someone’s status as a sexual assault or human trafficking victim, such
as in employment, public accommodations, housing sales or rentals,
granting credit, and several other areas. In several cases, it classifies 2025HB-07236-R000754-BA.DOCX
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discrimination on this basis as a “discriminatory practice” under the
CHRO laws. By doing so, the bill allows CHRO or individuals aggrieved
by these violations to file a complaint with CHRO alleging
discrimination.
Sexual Assault Victim Defined (§ 2)
The bill defines the term “victim of sexual assault” under the CHRO
laws as a victim of 1st, 2nd, 3rd,
and 4th degree sexual assault; 3rd
degree sexual assault with a firearm; aggravated sexual assault;
aggravated sexual assault of a minor; sexual assault in a spousal or
cohabiting relationship; and 1st and 2nd degree rape.
Human Trafficking Victim Defined (§ 2)
The bill applies a general definition for the term “victim of trafficking
in persons” under the CHRO laws.
Under the bill, a human trafficking victim is a person who is a victim
of the crime of “trafficking in persons,” a class A felony, punishable by
a fine up to $20,000, 10 to 25 years in prison, or both. By law, a person
commits trafficking in persons when he or she knowingly compels or
induces another person to:
1. use fraud, coercion, or force (or threat of force) to compel or
induce another person to (a) engage in conduct involving sexual
contact with one or more third persons or (b) provide labor or
services that the other person has a legal right to refrain from
providing;
2. compel or induce a minor (under age 18) to engage in conduct
with one or more third persons involving sexual contact for
which the third person may be charged with a crime; or
3. otherwise knowingly commit a sex trafficking act (CGS § 53a-
192a).
General Anti-Discriminatory Provision and Deprivation of Rights
(§ 4)
Under existing law, it is a discriminatory practice to deprive someone 2025HB-07236-R000754-BA.DOCX
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of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by
Connecticut or federal laws or constitutions, or cause such a
deprivation, because of religion, national origin, alienage, color, race,
sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, blindness, mental
or physical disability, age, veteran status, or status as a domestic
violence victim. The bill adds sexual assault and human trafficking
victims to this list, thus authorizing CHRO to investigate claims of
discrimination based on this status.
Under existing law, it is a crime to place a noose or simulation of one
on public property, or on private property without the owner’s written
consent, with the intent to harass someone because of any protected
class listed above. The bill adds sexual assault and human trafficking
victims to the list of protected classes.
By law, a violation of these provisions is generally a class A
misdemeanor; but, if the violation results in more than $1,000 in
property damage, then it is a class D felony. In either case, there is a
minimum $1,000 fine unless the court states on the record its reasons for
reducing it. (A class A misdemeanor is punishable by a fine up to $2,000,
up to 364 days in prison, or both; a class D felony is punishable by a fine
up to $5,000, up to five years in prison, or both.)
Employment Discrimination (§ 6)
Unless there is a bona fide occupational qualification or need, the bill
prohibits an employer or its agent from (1) refusing to hire or employ
someone; (2) barring or discharging someone from employment; or (3)
discriminating against someone in pay or in employment terms,
conditions, or privileges because the person is a sexual assault or human
trafficking victim. This prohibition applies to all employers, public or
private, and all employees except those employed by their parents,
spouse, or children.
The bill also prohibits the following kinds of employment
discrimination based on sexual assault or human trafficking victim
status: 2025HB-07236-R000754-BA.DOCX
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1. employers refusing to give a reasonable leave of absence to an
employee whom the employer knows is a sexual assault or
human trafficking victim unless the absence would cause an
undue hardship (see below);
2. employment agencies failing or refusing to classify properly or
refer for employment or otherwise discriminating against
someone except in the case of a bona fide occupational
qualification or need;
3. labor organizations excluding someone from full membership
rights, expelling a member, or discriminating in any way against
a member, employer, or employee unless the action is due to a
bona fide occupational qualification;
4. employers, employment agencies, labor organizations, or anyone
else taking adverse action against someone because he or she
opposed a discriminatory employment practice, brought a
complaint, or testified or assisted someone else in a complaint
proceeding;
5. any person aiding, abetting, inciting, compelling, or coercing
someone to commit a discriminatory employment practice or
attempting to do so; and
6. employers, employment agencies, labor organizations, or anyone
else advertising employment opportunities in a way that restricts
employment and therefore discriminates except when involving
a bona fide occupational qualification or need.
Reasonable Leave of Absence. As is the case for an employee who
is a domestic violence victim under existing law, under the bill, it is a
discriminatory practice for an employer or the employer’s agent to deny
the employee a reasonable leave of absence to do the following:
1. seek attention for injuries caused by sexual assault or human
trafficking, including for a child who is a sexual assault or human
trafficking victim, so long as the employee did not commit sexual 2025HB-07236-R000754-BA.DOCX
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assault or human trafficking against the child;
2. get services, including safety planning, from a sexual assault or
human trafficking agency or rape crisis center;
3. get psychological counseling, including for a child, so long as the
employee did not commit sexual assault or human trafficking
against the child;
4. take other actions to increase safety from future incidents,
including temporary or permanent relocation; or
5. get legal services, help with the offense’s prosecution, or
otherwise participate in related legal proceedings.
As is required for a domestic violence victim under existing law, the
bill requires an employee who is a sexual assault or human trafficking
victim who misses work under the circumstances described above to
give a certification to the employer, if requested, within a reasonable
time after the absence. The bill generally requires similar types of
certifications for sexual assault and human trafficking victims as
existing law requires for domestic violence victims, which must be one
of the following:
1. a police report indicating that the employee or the employee’s
child was a sexual assault or human trafficking victim;
2. a court order protecting or separating the employee or
employee’s child from the perpetrator;
3. other evidence from the court or prosecutor that the employee
appeared in court; or
4. documentation from a medical professional or a sexual assault
counselor, or other health care provider, that the employee or
employee’s child was receiving services, counseling, or treatment
for physical or mental injuries or abuse caused by sexual assault
or human trafficking. 2025HB-07236-R000754-BA.DOCX
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Under the bill, if an employee has a physical or mental disability
resulting from a sexual assault or human trafficking incident, then the
employee must be treated the same as employees with other disabilities,
as is the case for domestic violence victims under existing law.
The bill also requires employers, to the extent allowed by law, to keep
confidential any information about an employee’s status as a sexual
assault or human trafficking victim as is required by law for domestic
violence victims.
Public Accommodations (§ 7)
The bill prohibits anyone from denying someone, based on his or her
status as a sexual assault or human trafficking victim, full and equal
accommodations in any public establishment (i.e. one that caters to or
offers its services, facilities, or goods to the general public), including
any commercial property or building lot on which a commercial
building will be built or offered for sale or rent, subject to lawful
conditions and limitations that apply alike to everyone. It further
prohibits discriminating, segregating, or separating people based on
their status as a sexual assault or human trafficking victim. A violation
is a class D misdemeanor, punishable by a fine up to $250, up to 30 days
in prison, or both.
Housing (§ 3)
The law provides protection against discriminatory housing practices
to the protected classes under the CHRO statutes. The bill extends these
protections to sexual assault and human trafficking victims. Specifically,
the bill prohibits anyone from doing the following based on a person’s
status as a sexual assault or human trafficking victim:
1. refusing to sell or rent after the person makes a bona fide offer,
refusing to negotiate for the sale or rental of a dwelling, or
otherwise denying or making a dwelling unavailable;
2. discriminating against the person in the terms, conditions, or
privileges of a dwelling’s sale or rental, or in providing connected
services or facilities, such as providing appraisals; 2025HB-07236-R000754-BA.DOCX
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3. making, printing, or publishing, or causing such to occur, any
notice, statement, or advertisement with a dwelling’s sale or
rental that indicates any preference, limitation, or discrimination;
4. representing that a dwelling is not available for inspection, sale,
or rental when it is;
5. generally restricting or attempting to restrict the choices of any
buyer or renter to buy or rent a dwelling;
6. for profit, inducing or attempting to induce the person to sell or
rent any dwelling by representations about the entry or
prospective entry into the neighborhood;
7. discriminating against the person in making available a
residential real estate transaction, or in the terms or conditions of
the transaction; or
8. denying the person access to, or membership or participation in,
any multiple-listing service, real estate brokers’ organization, or
other service, organization, or facility relating to residential real
estate business of selling or renting homes, or discriminating in
the terms or conditions of them.
Under existing law and the bill, the above provisions do not apply to
the rental of (1) a room in an owner-occupied single-family home or (2)
part of an owner-occupied two-family home. A violation of any of them
is a class D misdemeanor.
Credit (§ 8)
The bill prohibits a creditor from discriminating against an adult in a
credit transaction based on the person’s status as a sexual assault or
human trafficking victim.
Other Areas Subject to CHRO’s Jurisdiction (§§ 5 & 9-15)
The bill authorizes CHRO to investigate discrimination claims based
on someone’s status as a sexual assault or human trafficking victim
under other laws over which CHRO has jurisdiction. Specifically, the 2025HB-07236-R000754-BA.DOCX
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bill does the following:
1. prohibits any professional or trade association, board, or other
similar organization whose profession, trade, or occupation
requires a state license from denying someone membership
because of his or her status as a sexual assault or human
trafficking victim (violators are subject to a $100 to $500 fine) (§
5);
2. requires state officials and supervisory personnel to recruit,
appoint, assign, train, evaluate, and promote state personnel
based on merit and qualifications, without regard for their status
as a sexual assault or human trafficking victim unless it prevents
performance of the work involved (§ 9);
3. requires state agencies to deliver services without discrimination
based on a person’s status as a sexual assault or human
trafficking victim (§ 10);
4. requires any state agency that provides employment referrals or
placement services to public or private employers to reject any
job request that indicates an intention to exclude anyone based
on his or her status as a sexual assault or human trafficking victim
(§ 11);
5. prohibits state departments, boards, or agencies from granting,
denying, or revoking a person’s license or charter because he or
she is a sexual assault or human trafficking victim (§ 12);
6. requires all educational, counseling, and vocational guidance
programs and all apprenticeship and on-the-job training
programs of state agencies, or in which they participate, to be
open to all qualified people, without regard for a person’s status
as a sexual assault or human trafficking victim (§ 13);
7. prohibits a person’s status as a sexual assault or human
trafficking victim from being a limiting factor in state-
administered programs involving the distribution of funds to 2025HB-07236-R000754-BA.DOCX
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qualified applicants for benefits authorized by law; and prohibits
the state from giving financial assistance to public agencies,
private institutions, or other organizations that discriminate on
this basis (§ 14); and
8. generally requires state agency, municipal public works, and
quasi-public agency project contracts to have a provision
requiring the contractors to agree, with regard to someone’s
status as a victim of sexual assault or human trafficking, to (a) not
discriminate or permit discrimination and (b) take affirmative
action to ensure that applicants with job-related qualifications are
employed and that employees are treated without regard to that
status. (§ 15).
§ 16 — AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE FOR MINOR VICTIMS IN
MISDEMEANOR CASES
In misdemeanor cases in Superior or Juvenile courts, the bill makes it
an affirmative defense that (1) the defendant was a minor (under age 18)
at the time he or she committed the offense and (2) his or her
participation in the offense was a result of having been a human
trafficking victim (as defined above).
Under existing law, it is already an affirmative defense in any human
trafficking prosecution or delinquency proceeding that the defendant
was a minor and his or her participation in the offense was a result of
having been a victim of another person’s human trafficking conduct.
§ 17 — HUMAN TRAFFICKING A WARENESS COURSE
The law requires the DCF commissioner, in consultation with the
DESPP commissioner, to develop an initial and refresher training
program to accurately and promptly identify and report suspected
human trafficking.
Under current law, the training program must include a video
presentation, developed and approved by the commissioners, that
offers awareness of human trafficking issues and guidance to specific
personnel. The bill allows this presentation to be in any format, not just
video. 2025HB-07236-R000754-BA.DOCX
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Existing law, unchanged by the bill, requires the following
professionals to complete the training every three years: law
enforcement personnel; Superior Court judges; prosecutors; public
defenders and other criminal defense attorneys; hospital emergency
room, urgent care facility staff, and emergency medical services
personnel who have patient contact; and employees of local and
regional school boards or public higher education constituent units who
have contact with students.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Judiciary Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 36 Nay 5 (04/07/2025)