The proposed bill seeks to enhance the legal framework addressing human trafficking and sexual exploitation of children in New Mexico. It removes the time limitation for prosecuting human trafficking offenses, allowing prosecution to occur at any time after the crime. The bill also raises the age for sexual exploitation of children by prostitution from sixteen to eighteen years, expands the definition of human trafficking to encompass various forms of coercion and exploitation, and classifies human trafficking as a "racketeering" offense. Additionally, it prohibits certain defenses in human trafficking cases, such as the victim's sexual history or consent, and ensures that victims are not charged as accessories to the crime. The bill amends the Victims of Crime Act to include protections for victims of human trafficking and stipulates that individuals convicted of human trafficking are ineligible for earned meritorious deductions from their sentences.

Furthermore, the bill introduces new provisions regarding meritorious deductions for prisoners, allowing for lump-sum deductions with specific eligibility criteria, while excluding those serving life sentences or convicted of serious violent offenses, which now includes human trafficking. It expands eligibility for meritorious deductions to prisoners in federal or out-of-state facilities who participate in available programs and ensures that those in private correctional facilities are treated similarly to those in state-run facilities. The corrections department is mandated to create rules for implementation and provide prisoners with summaries of these rules and quarterly statements of their earned deductions.

Statutes affected:
introduced version: 30-1-8, 30-6A-4, 30-42-3, 30-52-1, 31-26-3, 33-2-34