HCSHB224--THEPROTECTIONOFVULNERABLEPERSONS
SPONSOR: Myers
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPasswithHCS"bytheStanding
CommitteeonGeneralLawsbyavoteof11to0.
ThefollowingisasummaryoftheHouseCommitteeSubstituteforHB
224.
Thisbillestablishesthe"CommitteeonSexandHumanTrafficking
Training",whichwillbecomposedofeightmembers,including,
amongothers,arepresentative oftheAttorneyGeneral'sOffice,a
representative oftheDepartmentofPublicSafety,andajuvenile
officer. Thecommitteemustannuallyevaluateandestablish
guidelinesforrequiredsexandhumantraffickingtraining. The
committeewilldissolveonDecember31,2030.
Thebillalsoestablishesthe"StatewideCouncilAgainstAdult
TraffickingandCommercialSexualExploitationofChildren"to
replacethe"StatewideCouncilonSexTraffickingandSexual
ExploitationofChildren",whichexpiredonDecember31,2023.The
newcouncilmustbecreatedwithin30daysofAugust28,2025,is
requiredtomeetatleastquarterly,andiswithintheOfficeof
theAttorneyGeneral. TheAttorneyGeneralorhisorherdesignee
willbethechairofthecouncil. Themembersofthecouncilare
specifiedandincludetwomembersoftheSenateappointedbythe
PresidentProTemratherthanonebeingappointedbytheMinority
FloorLeaderoftheSenate,andthetwomembersoftheHouseof
Representatives appointedbytheSpeakerratherthanonebeing
appointedbytheMinorityFloorLeaderoftheHouseof
Representatives. TheChiefJusticeoftheMissouriSupremeCourt
mustalsohavethepowertoappoint.
Thebillcreatesthe"Anti-TraffickingFund".MoneyintheFund
willbeusedsolelytopayforthepositionoftheexecutive
directorofthestatewidecouncil,educationandawareness
regardinghumantrafficking,andanti-traffickingefforts
throughouttheState.
TheDepartmentofHealthandSeniorServiceswillrequireeachEMT,
includingeachparamedic,toreceivefourhoursofsexandhuman
traffickingtrainingaspartofcontinuingeducationrequirements
forrelicensureeveryfiveyears.Eachcountyprosecutingattorney
andjuvenileofficermustcompleteonehourofsexandhuman
traffickingtrainingannually,socialworkerswillberequiredto
completetwohoursofsexandhumantraffickingtrainingfor
licenserenewal,andeachpeaceofficerwillberequiredtoreceive twohoursofsexandhumantraffickingtrainingwithinthelaw
enforcementcontinuingeducationone-yearreportingperiod.
Currently,undercertaincircumstances, astatementmadebyachild
undertheageof14orbyavulnerableperson,orthevisualand
auralrecordingofaverbalornonverbalstatementofsuchchildor
vulnerableperson,isadmissibleintoevidenceincriminal
proceedingsassubstantiveevidencetoprovethetruthofthe
matterasserted. Thisbillincreasestheagetoachildunderthe
ageof18anditamendsthedefinitionof"vulnerableperson"to
includeapersonwhosedevelopmentalleveldoesnotexceedthatof
anordinarychildof17yearsofage.
Currently,anylawenforcementagencymayprovideforthesecurity
ofwitnessesandothersincriminalproceedingsorinvestigations.
Thisbillallowsanyprosecutingattorney'sofficetoprovidesuch
securityaswell.TheDepartmentofPublicSafetymayauthorize
fundstobedisbursedtoprosecutingattorneys'officesforsuch
officestobeabletoprovidesecurity.
Thebillcreatesa20-yearstatuteoflimitationforprosecutionof
certainsexandlabortraffickingoffenses,describedinthebill.
Currently,aperson21yearsoldoroldercommitstheoffenseof
enticementofachildifheorshesatisfiestheelementsofthe
offenseandthechildisunder15yearsold.Thisbillincreases
theageofthechildtounder17yearsold.
Thebillcreatestheoffenseofpatronizingavictimofsexual
servitude,whichapersoncommitsifheorsheknowinglygives,
agreestogive,orofferstogiveanythingofvaluesothatan
individualmayengageinacommercialsexactwithanother
individualandthepersonknowsthattheotherindividualisa
vitimofsexualservitude. Ifthevictimoftheoffenseis18
yearsofageorolder,theoffenseisafelonypunishableby
imprisonmentforatermofthreeto20yearsandafineofupto
$250,000. Ifthevictimoftheoffenseisunder18yearsold,the
offenseisafelonypunishablebylifeimprisonmentwithout
eligibilityforprobationorparoleuntiltheoffenderhasserved
atleast25yearsofthesentence.
Thebillalsospecifiesthatapersonwhopleadedguiltytoorwas
foundguiltyofcertainsexualoffenses,specifiedinthebill,
willberequiredtopay$10,000inrestitutionperidentified
victimand$2,500foreachcountyinwhichtheoffenseoroffenses
occurred,payabletotheStatetobedepositedintothe"Human
TraffickingandSexualExploitationFund",whichiscreatedinthis
bill.UponreceiptofmoneyfromtheFund,acountymustallocate disbursementofthefundsaccordingtotherequirementsinthe
bill.
Currently,apersonwhowasconvictedoftheoffenseof
prostitutionwhowasundertheageof18atthetimeoftheoffense
canapplytotheappropriatecourttohavehisorherrecord
expunged. Thisbillrepealstherequirementthatthepersonbe
undertheageof18atthetimeoftheoffense.
ThisbillissimilartoSCSHB1706(2024).
Thefollowingisasummaryofthepublictestimonyfromthe
committeehearing. Thetestimonywasbasedontheintroduced
versionofthebill.
PROPONENTS: SupporterssaythatbecauseofMissouri'scentral
locationandhighwaysystem,ourStateisuniqueinthiscountryin
termsofitsgeographicposition,whichmakesitfareasierto
traffichumans.Thissetofcircumstanceshasonlyincreasedin
thelastseveralyearsduetoouropensouthernborder.Supporters
furthersaythattakingsubstantiveactionisamoralandnecessary
issueforthesafetyandwell-beingofsomeofthemostvulnerable
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwereRepresentative Myers;Neil
Getzlow,Rehope;StefanieKaiser;WardCook,MissouriAssociation
ofProsecutingAttorneys;SarahRogers;MoNursesAssociation;Todd
Scott,MoAttorneyGeneral.
OPPONENTS: Thosewhoopposethebillsaythatcreatingyetanother
governmentofficewillnotmakethejoboffightinghuman
traffickinganymoreefficient. Rather,moregovernment
bureaucracywillonlyaddmorelayersofrulesandregulations,
whichcaneasilyresultintheduplicationofservicesthatare
alreadyprovided,andthereforehamperlawenforcementseffortsto
confronttheissue.
TestifyinginpersonagainstthebillwasArnieDienoff.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.