HB80 Alabama 2025 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Chip BrownRepresentative

Republican

Session

2025 Regular Session

Title

Crimes; human trafficking, further provided; amounts awarded as civil damages, further provided

Summary

HB80 would strengthen Alabama's response to human trafficking by expanding criminal liability, boosting restitution and civil remedies for victims, and enhancing asset forfeiture.

What This Bill Does

It expands the second-degree offense to include aiding, hindering prosecution, or providing material support or resources for trafficking. It adds corporate liability, allowing prosecution of a company if a company's agent commits trafficking within the scope of employment. It increases restitution and creates broad civil remedies for victims, including damages, attorney fees, and injunctive relief, with proceeds from assets used first to pay victims and costs. It takes effect on October 1, 2025.

Who It Affects

• Victims of human trafficking in Alabama, who could receive mandatory restitution and may sue for damages in civil actions.
• People or entities accused of trafficking, including individuals and corporations, who face expanded criminal liability, asset forfeiture, and potential civil damages and treble damages.

Key Provisions

• Amends sections 13A-6-151, 13A-6-153, 13A-6-155, 13A-6-156, 13A-6-157, and 13A-6-158 and adds 13A-6-157.2 to provide for improved human trafficking penalties and civil tools.
• Expands human trafficking in the second degree to cover aiding, hindering prosecution, and providing material support or resources.
• Corporations can be prosecuted for trafficking in the second degree when a company's agent acts within the scope of employment or there is a pattern of conduct.
• Mandatory restitution to trafficking victims (first and second degree) for medical/psychological treatment, transportation, housing, child care, attorney fees, damages, and other losses; includes the greater of the victim's labor value or the defendant's gain.
• Victims may bring civil actions; damages can include actual damages, compensatory and punitive damages (at least triple actual), noneconomic damages, attorney fees, and injunctive relief; venue and joint/several liability rules are set.
• Assets and profits from trafficking must be forfeited and proceeds distributed first to restitution, then to civil damages, investigation costs, and finally to the Alabama Crime Victims Compensation Fund.
• A final criminal judgment in a trafficking case would preclude denying essential facts in later civil actions (issue preclusion).
• Civil action time limits set a five-year limit for non-minor victims with tolling rules for minors, disabilities, ongoing trafficking, and discovery-based accrual; no limit for Attorney General actions.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Civil Procedure; Crimes & Offenses