A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to Strengthen the human trafficking law.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 14‑43.11(a) reads as rewritten:
"§ 14‑43.11.  Human trafficking.
(a)	A person commits the offense of human trafficking when that person (i) knowingly or in reckless disregard of the consequences of the action recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, obtains, advertises, maintains, patronizes, or solicits by any means another person with the intent that the other person be held in involuntary servitude or sexual servitude or (ii) willfully or in reckless disregard of the consequences of the action causes a minor to be held in involuntary servitude or sexual servitude."
SECTION 2.  Article 10A of Chapter 14 of the General Statutes is amended by adding the following new sections to read:
"§ 14‑43.15.  Profiting from human trafficking.
(a)	A person commits the offense of profiting from human trafficking when that person benefits, financially or by receiving anything of value, from participation in a venture that has engaged in any act in violation of G.S. 14‑43.11, 14‑43.12, or 14‑43.13 knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that the venture has engaged in such violation.
(b)	A person convicted of an offense under this section shall be punished as follows:
(1)	If the venture engaged in a violation of G.S. 14‑43.11 or G.S. 14‑43.12 and the victim of the violation is an adult, the person is guilty of a Class F felony. If the venture engaged in a violation of G.S. 14‑43.11 or G.S. 14‑43.12 and the victim of the violation is a child, the person is guilty of a Class C felony.
(2)	If the venture engaged in a violation of G.S. 14‑43.13 and the victim of the violation is an adult, the person is guilty of a Class D felony. If the venture engaged in a violation of G.S. 14‑43.13 and the victim of the violation is a child, the person is guilty of a Class C felony.
(c)	Each violation of this section constitutes a separate offense and shall not merge with any other offense.
"§ 14‑43.16.  Obstruction of investigation of human trafficking.
Any person who obstructs, attempts to obstruct, or in any way interferes with or prevents the enforcement of this Article is guilty of a Class F felony."
SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective December 1, 2017, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.