SB620

Senate Bill 620 amends Arkansas law to provide legal protections for minors who have been victims of human trafficking and are subsequently charged with nonviolent criminal offenses. The bill establishes an affirmative defense for minors charged with nonviolent crimes if the offense was a direct result of their trafficking. It mandates that courts consider a juvenile's history of trafficking, trauma, and exposure to adverse childhood experiences during delinquency transfer hearings and sentencing proceedings. Furthermore, the legislation updates the legal definition of human trafficking to explicitly include recruiting or maintaining a minor for the purpose of joining criminal organizations or engaging in criminal activity through coercion. The bill requires courts to account for the diminished culpability of juveniles and the impact of trauma when determining sentences for offenses committed while under the age of 18.