Policy & Legislation
Maryland’s response to human trafficking has evolved over time through both statutory amendments and stand-alone legislation. Prior to 2019, human trafficking offenses were addressed primarily through updates to the State’s criminal code rather than through individually named bills. These early reforms strengthened penalties, clarified trafficking-related offenses, and improved prosecution of cases involving minors, including a 2013 law that eliminated the defense that a trafficker did not know a victim’s age. While these changes were critical in establishing trafficking as a serious felony offense in Maryland, they did not yet create coordinated screening, service response, or prevention frameworks. Beginning in 2019, Maryland shifted toward comprehensive, survivor-centered legislation, enacting laws that formalized screening and referral processes, expanded victim protections, addressed labor trafficking, and strengthened Safe Harbor provisions. Together, these laws reflect Maryland’s growing commitment to prevention, accountability, and survivor-focused systems of care.
Maryland's Legislative Timeline
2007
Maryland passed its first major human trafficking law, renaming “pandering” to “human trafficking,” strengthening penalties for trafficking a minor, and giving prosecutors better tools to criminally charge traffickers. These changes marked the first time Maryland clearly recognized trafficking as a criminal offense under state law, helping law enforcement bring traffickers to justice and better protect victims.
2015
Maryland enacted its first Safe Harbor protections, formally recognizing that children engaged in commercial sex are victims, not offenders. The law shifted how minors involved in commercial sexual exploitation were treated within the legal system, prioritizing referral to services over punishment and laying the groundwork for survivor-centered responses statewide. While implementation was initially inconsistent, this law marked a critical philosophical shift in Maryland’s approach to child sex trafficking.
2019
This landmark legislation established a statewide framework for identifying and responding to child sex trafficking. It required certain agencies, including child-serving systems, to use standardized screening tools to identify youth at risk of or experiencing trafficking and to refer identified youth to appropriate services. The law strengthened coordination across child welfare, behavioral health, and victim services systems and became a foundation for Maryland’s Regional Navigator Program.
2019
The Protecting Victims of Sex Trafficking Act modernized Maryland’s trafficking statutes by clarifying definitions of sex trafficking, strengthening elements related to force, fraud, and coercion, and updating penalties. It also aligned state law more closely with federal trafficking definitions and improved the ability of prosecutors to hold traffickers accountable while reinforcing victim protections.
2019
For the first time, Maryland explicitly addressed labor trafficking in its criminal code. This legislation established clear prohibitions against exploiting individuals for labor or services through force, fraud, or coercion, expanding the state’s anti-trafficking response beyond sex trafficking and recognizing labor exploitation as a serious and distinct crime.
2019
Maryland enacted a law making marriage trafficking a crime, recognizing that forcing, coercing, or deceiving someone into marriage for exploitation is a form of human trafficking. This marked an important step in acknowledging that marriage can be used as a tool of control and abuse, and that consent is required under the law.
2011
Maryland passed its first trafficking-related vacatur law, allowing survivors of human trafficking to ask the court to vacate prostitution-related offenses that resulted directly from their trafficking. This law recognized that survivors should not be punished for crimes they were compelled to commit as part of their exploitation.
2022
In 2022, Maryland passed the Innkeepers Bill, which requires hotels, motels, and other lodging establishments to take specific steps to help prevent and identify human trafficking. The law mandates annual human trafficking awareness training for employees, the adoption of a written prevention and reporting policy, and the posting of trafficking-related notices for staff. By engaging the hospitality industry as a frontline partner, this legislation strengthens early identification, reporting, and prevention efforts across the state.
2023
Maryland enacted its first Safe Harbor protections, formally recognizing that children engaged in commercial sex are victims, not offenders. The law shifted how minors involved in commercial sexual exploitation were treated within the legal system, prioritizing referral to services over punishment and laying the groundwork for survivor-centered responses statewide. While implementation was initially inconsistent, this law marked a critical philosophical shift in Maryland’s approach to child sex trafficking.
2025
This law requires the Maryland Department of Transportation to implement or approve human trafficking identification and response training for transportation-sector employees. It expands prevention and early identification efforts, recognizing the role of transportation systems in detecting and reporting trafficking activity.
2020
Maryland expanded its trafficking-specific vacatur law to include offenses beyond prostitution and to reduce procedural hurdles, increasing survivors’ access to criminal record relief. These expanded offenses include certain drug-related and other non-violent offenses, which are commonly charged against trafficking survivors as a result of coercion, control, or survival-based actions during exploitation.
2024
Maryland strengthened its human trafficking laws to better address labor trafficking of children, recognizing that minors can be exploited for labor through force, fraud, or coercion. This update clarified legal tools to hold traffickers accountable and reinforced protections for children exploited outside of the commercial sex context.
Maryland Earns Top Spot in Combating Child Sex Trafficking
Maryland has been recognized as the national leader in addressing child sex trafficking, receiving an “A” rating from Shared Hope International’s 2025 Report Cards on Child & Youth Sex Trafficking. The state ranked #1 in the nation for its strong laws, comprehensive victim protections, and proactive efforts to hold traffickers accountable — setting a new standard for child safety and justice across the U.S.
Human Trafficking & Federal Law
Human trafficking involves complex patterns of exploitation that often cross state lines, jurisdictions, and systems, making it difficult to address through isolated state or local laws alone. Prior to a coordinated federal response, cases were frequently misidentified as immigration violations, prostitution, or labor disputes, leaving victims without protection and traffickers without meaningful accountability. A federal legal framework was needed to clearly define trafficking, standardize criminal penalties, protect victims’ rights, and ensure coordinated enforcement, prevention, and survivor services nationwide.
Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA)
Passed in 2000, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) was the first comprehensive federal law to define and criminalize sex trafficking and labor trafficking. It established that trafficking can occur through force, fraud, or coercion, and that minors involved in commercial sex are victims, not criminals. Through this Act, the federal govenrment
set forth a formalized federal response focused on the “3 Ps” — Prevention, Protection, and Prosecution.
The TVPA created:
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Federal crimes and penalties for traffickers
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Survivor protections and access to services
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Immigration relief options for eligible survivors (such as T visas)
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A framework for victim-centered and trauma-informed responses
The TVPA has been reauthorized multiple times (including in 2003, 2005, 2008, 2013, and 2018). Each reauthorization has expanded protections and services for survivors, strengthened law enforcement and prosecution tools, increased attention to labor trafficking, improved child welfare and housing supports, and clarified protections for U.S. citizen and non-citizen survivors alike.
For more information on the Federal response to human trafficking visit:
Federal Protections for Survivors: Progress & Gaps
Federal law recognizes survivors of human trafficking as victims of crime, not offenders, and provides protections intended to support safety, recovery, and stability. These protections include access to services, legal remedies, and immigration options for eligible survivors.
At the same time, many survivors continue to face significant barriers. Federal law allows trafficking survivors to seek restitution from traffickers, but even when restitution is ordered, it is often difficult to collect and does not always result in meaningful financial recovery.Even with federal protections in place, survivors often struggle with criminal records tied to their trafficking, housing instability, employment barriers, lack of identification documents, fear of law enforcement, and limited access to trauma-informed services. Navigating these systems can be overwhelming, especially while healing from exploitation.