Part ofCrimes →

The civic record

Read. Follow. Verify.

HB 47OHIOSession 136State Billpassed chamber

Passed

Ohio House Passes Human Trafficking Prevention Act to Increase Penalties for Trafficking Minors, Kidnapping, and Abduction

Original title: Enact the Human Trafficking Prevention Act

Last action · June 11, 2025: Referred to JudiciarySponsors: Nick Santucci and 69 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

What This Bill Would Do

Ohio House Bill 47 enacts the Human Trafficking Prevention Act, increasing prison sentences to a minimum of 25 years to life for human trafficking of minors or individuals with developmental disabilities, as well as for certain kidnapping and abduction offenses.

Why it matters

Convicted offenders face significantly harsher, indefinite prison sentences with life maximum terms, altering sentencing minimums for severe crimes against vulnerable individuals.

Background

House Bill 47 is considered during the 136th General Assembly of the Ohio General Assembly. context
The Ohio General Assembly regularly updates criminal statutes in the Ohio Revised Code to adjust sentencing guidelines and establish mandatory minimum terms for violent crimes. context

Who It Would Affect

Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Minors and individuals with developmental disabilities

Receive increased legal protections through heavier mandatory sentences for individuals convicted of trafficking, kidnapping, or abducting them.

Directly affected

Criminal offenders convicted of human trafficking, kidnapping, or abduction

Subject to stricter, extended mandatory minimum prison terms and life-maximum sentences.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does House Bill 47 do?

It enacts the Human Trafficking Prevention Act, which increases prison penalties and establishes stricter minimum sentences for human trafficking of minors or individuals with developmental disabilities, as well as for kidnapping and abduction.

What is the penalty for human trafficking of a minor under the bill?

Offenders convicted of trafficking a person under eighteen years of age or with a developmental disability must be sentenced to an consisting of a minimum term of 25 years and a maximum term of life imprisonment.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Follow the record

Votes, people, money & the original source

Where This Stands

Currently passed chamber. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Law.

Procedural history

6 actions

Jun 11, 2025SenateCommittee
Referred to Judiciary
Jun 10, 2025SenateIntroduced
Introduced
Jun 4, 2025HouseFloor
Passed
May 28, 2025HouseCommittee
Reported - Amended (Judiciary)
Feb 5, 2025HouseCommittee
Referred to Judiciary
Feb 4, 2025HouseIntroduced
Introduced

Version history & redline

3 versions on file

Comparing As Reported by the House Judiciary Committee → As Passed by the House

removed addedOfficial text

hb47_01_RH hb47_02_PH As Reported Passed by the House Judiciary Committee 136th General Assembly Regular Session Am. H. B. No. 47 2025-2026 Representatives Williams, Santucci Santucci, Williams Cosponsors: Representatives Barhorst, Bird, Click, Daniels, Fischer, Gross, Hall, T., John, Johnson, King, Lorenz, Robb Blasdel, Richardson, Workman, Mathews, A., Stewart Stewart, Abrams, Brennan, Brewer, Claggett, Cockley, Craig, Creech, Deeter, Demetriou, Denson, Dovilla, Ghanbari, Hall, D., Hiner, Holmes, Hoops, Humphrey, Isaacsohn, Jarrells, Kishman, Lampton, LaRe, Lear, Lett, Manning, Mathews, T., Miller, K., Miller, M., Mohamed, Newman, Odioso, Oelslager, Peterson, Pizzulli, Plummer, Ray, Ritter, Robinson, Roemer, Russo, Salvo, Schmidt, Sigrist, Synenberg, Teska, Thomas, C., Thomas, D., Troy, Upchurch, White, A., White, E., Young A BILL To amend sections 2903.41, 2905.01, 2905.02, 2905.32, and 2971.03 of the Revised Code to enact the Human Trafficking Prevention Act to increase […]

Redline computed from the official version text (record lane).View this version →

Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Related Legislation

State Bill

Utah Revises Vehicle Impound Rules, Driver License Penalties, and Law Enforcement Fingerprint Procedures

Utah enacts HB 136 to mandate vehicle impoundment for drivers lacking valid credentials or involved in road rage, increase impound and administrative

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift99% confidence

Stricter Sentencing Structure for Crimes Against Vulnerable Persons

The legislation removes standard sentencing ranges for specific human trafficking and kidnapping offenses in favor of mandatory 25-years-to-life indefinite sentences.

Ohio General Assembly

Connected Entities

Meredith Craig, Ohio House of Representatives, Gary Click and 11 more

PersonMeredith Craig“Cosponsor of House Bill 47, Republican Representative from District 77.”Map →

OrganizationOhio House of Representatives“Legislative body that passed House Bill 47.”Map →

PersonGary Click“Cosponsor of House Bill 47, Republican Representative from District 88.”Map →

PersonRodney Creech“Cosponsor of House Bill 47, Republican Representative from District 40.”Map →

PersonDarnell Brewer“Cosponsor of House Bill 47, Democrat Representative from District 22.”Map →

PersonNick Santucci“Primary sponsor of House Bill 47, Republican Representative from District 64.”Map →

PersonThaddeus J. Claggett“Cosponsor of House Bill 47, Republican Representative from District 68.”Map →

PersonChristine Cockley“Cosponsor of House Bill 47, Democrat Representative from District 6.”Map →

PersonJosh Williams“Primary sponsor of House Bill 47, Republican Representative from District 44.”Map →

PersonSean Brennan“Cosponsor of House Bill 47, Democrat Representative from District 14.”Map →

PersonCindy Abrams“Cosponsor of House Bill 47, Republican Representative from District 29.”Map →

OrganizationOhio Senate“Legislative body where the bill was referred to committee.”Map →

PersonTim Barhorst“Cosponsor of House Bill 47, Republican Representative from District 85.”Map →

PersonAdam Bird“Cosponsor of House Bill 47, Republican Representative from District 63.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.legislature.ohio.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance85
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy25
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz40
Current news / social attention level

Publisher tools