The bill, known as the Sound of Freedom Act, amends Section 13A-6-152 of the Code of Alabama 1975 to enhance the punishment for certain human trafficking offenses. The bill specifies that a person commits the crime of human trafficking in the first degree if they knowingly subject another person to labor or sexual servitude, recruit minors for sexual servitude, or provide monetary consideration or other things of value to engage in sexual conduct with a minor or someone believed to be a minor. The bill includes an insertion that expands the offense to include attempts to give consideration for sexual conduct with a minor.

The bill also states that knowledge of a minor victim's age is not required for a defendant to be prosecuted, and a reasonable mistake of age is not a defense. It allows for the prosecution of corporations or other legal entities if an agent commits the crime within the scope of their employment. Additionally, the bill classifies obstruction of the enforcement of this section as a Class A felony. A significant insertion mandates a minimum sentence of life imprisonment for defendants 19 years or older when the trafficking victim is a minor. The bill is set to become effective on October 1, 2024, and is exempt from the requirement of a new or increased expenditure of local funds under Section 111.05 of the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, as it defines or amends the definition of a crime. The bill has been passed by the House on February 20, 2024, amended and passed by the Senate on April 11, 2024, and the House concurred with the Senate amendment on April 16, 2024.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 13A-6-152
Engrossed: 13A-6-152
Enrolled: 13A-6-152, 13A-6-152