This bill amends Louisiana's Revised Statutes to address offenses related to prostitution, with a particular emphasis on the trafficking of children for sexual purposes. It introduces a new offense that criminalizes the solicitation or purchase of individuals under eighteen for commercial sexual activity, significantly increasing penalties for prostitution-related crimes, especially when the victim is under fourteen or eighteen. Convictions for soliciting minors will result in harsher penalties, including mandatory minimum sentences without the possibility of parole or probation. The bill also ensures that child victims of human trafficking are referred for specialized services and are not prosecuted for offenses committed as a result of being trafficked.

Furthermore, the bill clarifies the definition of "human trafficking-related offense" to include specific crimes such as trafficking of children for sexual purposes and pornography involving juveniles. It broadens the scope of applicable offenses by including additional statutes related to commercial sexual exploitation. The legislation also makes several deletions and insertions to existing laws, including changing "and" to "or" in certain contexts to enhance the law's applicability and specifying that convictions under Louisiana law encompass equivalent offenses from other jurisdictions, provided they adhere to fairness and due process standards. Overall, the bill aims to strengthen the legal framework for prosecuting sexual offenses and improve protections for victims of human trafficking.

Statutes affected:
HB5 Original: 14:83(B)(1), 15:541(24)
HB5 Engrossed: 14:2(C)(1), 14:83(B)(1), 15:541(24)
HB5 Reengrossed: 14:3(A)(1), 14:2(C)(1), 14:83(B)(1), 14:1(B)(2), 14:2(B)(2), 14:84(B)(2), 14:85(B)(2), 14:86(B)(1), 14:2(B)(3), 14:104(B)(2), 14:105(B)(2), 14:282(B)(2), 15:1(A), 15:2(A), 15:541(24), 46:1844(W)(2), 15:541(25), 15:1352(A)(47)
HB5 Enrolled: 14:3(A)(1), 14:2(C)(1), 14:83(B)(1), 14:1(B)(2), 14:2(B)(2), 14:84(B)(2), 14:85(B)(2), 14:86(B)(1), 14:2(B)(3), 14:104(B)(2), 14:105(B)(2), 14:282(B)(2), 15:1(A), 15:541(24), 46:1844(W)(2)
HB5 Act : 14:3(A)(1), 14:2(C)(1), 14:83(B)(1), 14:1(B)(2), 14:2(B)(2), 14:84(B)(2), 14:85(B)(2), 14:86(B)(1), 14:2(B)(3), 14:104(B)(2), 14:105(B)(2), 14:282(B)(2), 15:1(A), 15:541(24), 46:1844(W)(2)