WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

HF 1036

A bill for an act relating to human trafficking, including screening children, civil statutes of limitations, an annual stakeholder meeting and report, depositions of victims, restitution, restorative facilities and protective services, and investigation and prosecution, and including effective date provisions.

2025-2026 Regular Session

Expands protections for juvenile victims of human trafficking by improving screening, prioritizing diversion instead of prosecution for minors, and increasing restorative services

NOBA: Final
#buildings #children #depositions #healthandhumanservicesdepartment #humantrafficking #juvenilecourts #meetings #prosecutions #publicsafetydepartment #reports #restitution #statuteoflimitations #victims
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HF 1036

Summary — HF 1036 (Human Trafficking) — Introduced April 24, 2025

Purpose

HF 1036 is a multifaceted bill addressing human trafficking with particular emphasis on juvenile victims. Its stated goals are to improve identification and screening of children for commercial sexual exploitation, expand post‑victimization restoration and protective services, adjust civil limitations for trafficking claims by minors, clarify restitution categories, and change certain juvenile handling and prosecution practices. The bill also calls for stakeholder engagement and reporting and includes various provisions related to investigation and prosecution.

Key provisions (from bill text and amendment H‑1299)

  • Child screening for commercial sexual exploitation

    • The court (or the court’s designee) may order that a child be screened for commercial sexual exploitation using a standardized, evidence‑based, trauma‑informed screening tool when the court reviews a complaint using a standardized human‑trafficking indicator list.
    • The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must screen a child with the same standardized tool if HHS determines an incoming report constitutes a child‑abuse allegation.

  • Juvenile handling / diversion

    • If a person under age 18 sells or offers for sale their services as a partner in a sex act, the county attorney may elect not to arrest, charge, or prosecute that person. Instead, the minor may be taken into temporary custody under Code sections 232.78 or 232.79 or referred to HHS for possible filing of a petition alleging the child is in need of assistance (CHIN).

  • Statute of limitations (civil claims)

    • Time limits for civil actions are extended for minors: a minor has five years from reaching the age of majority to bring a claim related to the offenses addressed by the bill.

  • Restorative facilities and protective services

    • HHS must develop a plan, in consultation with nonprofit restoration‑service providers, to increase the availability of restoration facilities and protective services for juvenile victims of human trafficking — including juveniles who were not previously involved with the juvenile court system.
    • The department is to consider developing an interstate housing/network option to provide out‑of‑state housing for victims at risk of returning to abusive or exploitative situations.

  • Restitution (definitions amended)

    • “Category A restitution” is defined to include fines, penalties, payment of crime victim compensation program reimbursements, and surcharges.
    • “Category B restitution” language expanded to explicitly include contributions to local anti‑crime organizations that assisted law enforcement, payment of crime victim compensation reimbursements, restitution to public agencies under Code section 321J.2(13)(b), court costs, court‑appointed attorney fees (including public defender expenses), and payments to the medical assistance program (chapter 249A) for expenditures made on behalf of victims, including investigative costs incurred by the Medicaid fraud control unit (section 249A.50).

Who is affected

  • Juvenile victims of human trafficking (including those not previously in juvenile court)
  • Children subject to child‑abuse reports and the courts/HHS that screen and respond
  • Minors who engage in selling sexual services (shift toward diversion/CHIN path rather than prosecution)
  • HHS and nonprofit restoration service providers (planning/implementation role)
  • County attorneys, juvenile courts, law enforcement, Medicaid/medical assistance programs
  • Victims seeking civil remedies (longer filing window)

Legislative status and timeline

  • Introduced: April 24, 2025; placed on Appropriations calendar
  • Amendment H‑1299 filed and adopted: May 12, 2025
  • Passed House: May 12, 2025 — Yeas 91, Nays 0
  • Immediate message and referred to Senate Appropriations (read first time in Senate and referred to Appropriations)
  • Explanation of vote recorded: May 20, 2025

Notes / Limitations

  • The provided materials include selected text and the adopted H‑1299 amendment; some elements listed in the bill title (e.g., depositions of victims, details of an annual stakeholder meeting and report, specific investigation/prosecution changes, and exact effective date provisions) are referenced in the title but not fully excerpted in the material supplied. For complete operative language and any effective‑date clauses, consult the full engrossed bill or legislative journal.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.