Anti-Human Trafficking Bills Focus On 'Demand Side'

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 10/10/2025) Legislation has been introduced to target the “demand” side of human trafficking or commercial sex. The proposed changes allow victims of trafficking to be expunged of crimes they committed while being exploited, and gives prosecutors tools to build cases.

In a recent press conference, Attorney General Dana Nessel said Michigan receives an ‘F’ rating for its human trafficking statutes from Shared Hope International and the Polaris Project. As such, Sen. John Damoose (R-Harbor Springs) and Rep. Kelly Breen (D-Novi) have introduced legislation that would protect survivors and ease the prosecution process.

Damoose said that before meeting with the AG’s office about human trafficking, he pictured people being kidnapped off the street and put in white vans and sold into human trafficking rings.

“(It) does happen, albeit rarely. The reality of human trafficking is far more insidious,” Damoose said. He learned of young girls who were coerced online with threats who wound up being sold for sex to grown men, parents that broker their own children, people being used as labor slaves until they pay off a debt and illicit massage parlors that are shut down only to reopen under new ownership.

Assistant Attorney General Melissa Palepu, who chairs the Human Trafficking Commission, said social media is the No 1 recruiter for trafficking, whether that be labor or commercial sex trafficking. Palepu said social media is an open network that grabs the attention of the most vulnerable by people pretending to be friendly online and then luring a victim to go somewhere that is not safe.

Palepu said there are even fake job advertisements online that lead people to believe they’re getting gainful employment, only for it to be a labor trafficking front.

“When you look at the numbers regarding recruitment, it’s always social media and the internet being the top platform,” Palepu said.

Nessel said human trafficking, like sexual assault, often goes underreported, meaning the reported numbers never accurately reflect reality. Palepu said she thinks part of the reason why Michigan’s numbers are so high, though, is because of a lack of legislation that protects survivors and prosecutes traffickers, and because Michigan is a travel hub with people coming in and out and also accessing the Canadian border.

While the Senate bills haven’t dropped yet, they would increase fines to up to $4,000 for repeat offenders, defer sentencing for first-time convictions with human trafficking awareness training, enhance penalties to up to 20 years for engaging in commercial sex with minors, create 20-year felonies with $20,000 for various human trafficking offenses, create a life penalty for trafficking minors with a $50,000 fine, allows for grounds of termination of parental rights for human trafficking, and allows for human trafficking to be grounds for DHHS petitions for child protection.

House bills would set aside convictions for crimes committed as a result of being trafficked, allow affirmative defense for crimes committed under coercion, create safe harbor protections for minors, make expert testimony a criterion for human trafficking cases, and change “prostitution” to “commercial sex” in statute to reduce stigma.

Breen spoke about how criminal convictions can cause victims to be unable to find gainful employment to support their family, or serve as a volunteer at their child’s school.

“Their exploitation and trauma should not define the rest of their lives,” Breen said.

House bills include HB 5009, HB 5010, HB 5011, HB 5012, HB 5013, HB 5014, HB 5015, HB 5016, HB 5017, HB 5018, HB 5019, HB 5020, HB 5021, HB 5022, HB 5023, HB 5024, HB 5025, HB 5026, HB 5027 and HB 5028 with Senate bills to come.

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