COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio lawmakers are advancing a proposal to toughen penalties for human trafficking offenses.

House Bill 47, sponsored by Reps. Nick Santucci (R-Niles) and Josh Williams (R-Sylvania Township), seeks to increase prison sentences for human trafficking, abduction, and kidnapping. Abduction involves forcibly restraining someone under conditions that pose harm or fear, while kidnapping is a more serious crime that includes intent to commit unlawful acts.

The Human Trafficking Prevention Act, introduced in February, passed the House unanimously in June and now awaits Senate review.

“Trafficking destroys individuals, families and communities alike,” Williams said during an April hearing. “Those who facilitate this heinous crime deserve no sympathy and will receive none if the Human Trafficking Prevention Act becomes law.”

The bill would raise the minimum sentence for kidnapping a victim under 13 or someone with a developmental disability from 15 years to 25 years. Lawmakers initially considered extending these harsher penalties to all victims under 18, but they removed that provision from the final version.

Offenders charged with abduction involving involuntary servitude or sexual motivation would face a minimum of 25 years in prison, up from the current 15 years. The minimum sentence for human trafficking would also rise from 10 years to 15 years.

Currently, human trafficking laws prohibit knowingly recruiting or transporting victims. The bill lowers this threshold, requiring offenders to only have “reason to believe” a victim is being trafficked.

“In practice, human traffickers often purposefully leave their facilitators in the dark about their activities so as to protect themselves and to give the facilitators culpable deniability,” Williams testified. “This lower standard recognizes that those who facilitate human trafficking are just as culpable as the traffickers themselves and makes it easier to bring them to justice.”

Nine people spoke in favor of the bill at House hearings, including Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and representatives from the Ohio Domestic Violence Network and Collaborative to End Human Trafficking. No one testified against it.

“Too often traffickers have faced menial prison sentences for their crimes,” Yost said at an April hearing. “Law enforcement and prosecutors are forced to bring different charges, such as weapons offenses, in an attempt to keep these evildoers off the street for as long as possible.”

Santucci highlighted data showing Ohio ranked sixth nationally for the number of cases reported to the Human Trafficking Hotline in 2021. He noted that Ohio’s numerous truck stops, expansive highway system, and proximity to the Canadian border make it a “hot spot” for human trafficking.

“This legislation will contribute to greater safety in our communities and send a clear message to traffickers that their crimes will not be tolerated in Ohio,” he said.

HB 47 enjoys strong bipartisan support, with 68 cosponsors from both parties. The bill will undergo further Senate hearings, where lawmakers can propose changes before potentially sending it to Gov. Mike DeWine for final approval.