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Perry Signs Human Trafficking Bills

Stricter penalties for human trafficking take effect in Texas September 1.
Photo by Nathan Bernier for KUT News
Stricter penalties for human trafficking take effect in Texas September 1.

Governor Rick Perry signed legislation today that toughens penalties for people convicted of human trafficking. House Bill 3000 creates a first-degree felony charge for people convicted two or more times of illegally transporting people into the U.S. Another conviction on the Continuous Trafficking of Persons charge would result in a life sentence in prison.

The other law enacted today, Senate Bill 24, follows guidelines set forth by an Attorney General's Task Force to combat human trafficking. It creates felony charges for compelling prostitution and makes trafficking for forced labor or forced sexual acts first-degree felonies.

The new laws take effect September 1.

Ian Crawford joined KUT as News Editor in 2008, after spending over four years as a reporter/anchor at KLBJ Radio in Austin. He began his broadcasting career while still in high school in Southern Oregon. During high school and college at the University of Oregon, he worked at times as a reporter, news anchor, sports play-by-play reporter, music host and commercial producer before moving to Texas in 2003.