HB433 Alabama 2015 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Jack Williams

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2015

Title

Human Trafficking Safe Harbor Act, crimes of prostitution, sexually exploited children, conviction or delinquency adjudication of prostitution prohibited under certain conditions, retention of jurisdiction by juvenile court, additional fines, counseling required, detention of foreign nationals under certain conditions, Sec. 13A-12-123 added

Summary

HB433 creates a safe harbor for sexually exploited children in prostitution cases, keeps them in juvenile court with expanded services, and adds penalties and procedures related to prostitution offenses.

What This Bill Does

It defines a sexually exploited child and prohibits adjudicating them delinquent or convicting them of prostitution, allowing them to be treated as a child in need of supervision or a dependent. It keeps these cases in juvenile court and lets the court retain jurisdiction to protect the child’s health and safety, including emergency protective orders and required services. It adds a $500 mandatory fine for certain prostitution offenses to fund court certified counseling services and requires counseling or education programs for adults convicted of prostitution offenses, with programs run at the offender’s expense. It also allows a 72 hour detention for foreign nationals arrested for prostitution to ensure access to health care, shelter, and counseling, with a court review within 48 hours.

Who It Affects

• Sexually exploited children under 18: protected from delinquency adjudication or prostitution conviction and instead handled as a child in need of supervision or dependent, with access to specialized services.
• Adults convicted or charged with prostitution offenses (and foreign nationals): face new penalties, counseling/education requirements, potential pretrial diversion options, and possible short-term detention to access resources.

Key Provisions

• Defines sexually exploited child and safe harbor protections for prostitution cases.
• Prohibits delinquency adjudication or conviction for prostitution by sexually exploited children.
• Prohibits transfer of sexually exploited child cases to adult courts; juvenile court retains jurisdiction.
• Allows juvenile court to issue protective orders and conduct hearings in the best interests of the child.
• Requires social and community services for sexually exploited children (counseling, shelter, medical, legal, tutoring, interpreters, etc.).
• Imposes a mandatory $500 fine on promoting prostitution and related offenses, payable to a counseling provider.
• Requires adults convicted of prostitution offenses to attend counseling or education programs; pretrial diversion available under certain conditions.
• Allows 72-hour detention for foreign nationals arrested for prostitution to access resources, with a 48-hour court review.
• Notes the local expenditure impact is exempt due to exceptions in Amendment 621; effective date is the first day of the third month after passage.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Human Trafficking