Human Trafficking and Slavery Laws
CURRENT TENNESSEE TRAFFICKING LAWS
Sex-Trafficking: Pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-309, a person commits the offense of trafficking persons for sexual servitude when that person knowingly subjects or maintains another in sexual servitude or knowingly recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides or obtains by any means another person for sexual servitude. Trafficking for sexual servitude is a Class B felony.
Labor Trafficking: Pursuant to Tenn Code Ann. § 39-13-307, a person commits the offense of involuntary labor servitude who knowingly subjects, or attempts to subject another person to forced labor or services by threatening physical harm, physical restraint or threat, abuse to the legal process, destroying and/or confiscating identification or immigration documents, or by blackmail and financial harm. Involuntary servitude is a Class C felony, or a Class B felony if it results in serious bodily/ death, exceeds one year, or concerns ten or more victims.
Asset Seizure: Pursuant to Tenn Code Ann.§ 39-13-312 and T.C.A. § 39-11-703, Asset seizures allows law enforcement to forfeit any property subject to state forfeiture regulation and the proceeds be divided by the seizing agency (law enforcement), with the remaining proceeds placed in a fund for NGO anti-trafficking efforts.
Hotline Act: Pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-312, the Hotline Act provides that the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation maintain a hotline that serves as a resource for victims of human trafficking or for those who suspect an instance of human trafficking, and strongly encourages that this hotline be posted on a flyer throughout Tennessee in any commercial enterprise or business establishment licenses by the state.
Task Force – Advisory Committee: While this law has not been formalized yet, the practical application of it has been recognized by the policy department of Polaris Project, a leading anti-trafficking group in the U.S. The purpose of an anti-trafficking task force is to strengthen a state-wide collaborative atmosphere between law enforcement and the NGO community as well as facilitate continuous and clear communication between them.
Decriminalization of Minors: Pursuant to § Tenn. Code Ann. 39-13-513 and T.C.A. § 39-13-514, decriminalization protects minors in two ways: (1) A person suspected to be under 18 years of age shall be immune from prosecution of prostitution as a juvenile or adult and that person shall be provided with the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline, (2) patronizing prostitution from a person younger than 18 is a Class E felony.
Prostitution Laws: State prostitution laws are also available for a prosecutor.
