The House Courts and Criminal Code Committee heard SB 532, sponsored by Reps. McNamara, Cox, Hale and Lawson, on forfeiture of property used in human trafficking and indecent nuisances. Sen. Head explained that sexual trafficking would be added to the indecent nuisance statutes, and provide that 80% of the money obtained from property taken in prosecutors’ human trafficking indecent nuisance actions would go into a human trafficking prevention and victim assistance fund established by the bill, with the remaining 20% going to the prosecutor. Sen. Head agreed to a Committee amendment incorporating SB 375 into this bill, which provides for asset seizure and forfeiture of vehicles and other property used in human trafficking or promoting prostitution. The Committee also adopted Rep. Pierce’s amendment, making the bill consistent with Sen. Hershman’s SB 388, on asset forfeiture reporting. SB 388 requires the State Police to report the amounts received from human trafficking forfeitures through cooperation with federal authorities and for prosecutors to report to the Prosecuting Attorneys Council on funds received through state human trafficking forfeiture actions. The bill passed as amended 10-0.
Read the bill at http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2015/bills/senate/532.