2026 Legislative Priorities 

HB0355 expands Maryland’s existing Sexual Abuse and Assault Awareness and Prevention Program to include education on human and sex trafficking for students in grades 6–8. The bill requires age-appropriate instruction to help middle school students understand trafficking, recognize grooming and exploitation tactics, and learn how to safely seek help or report concerns. It builds on existing prevention education by incorporating trafficking awareness into the broader curriculum addressing sexual abuse and assault prevention.

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Why This Matters 

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For human trafficking survivors and vulnerable youth, prevention education is a critical tool. Traffickers frequently target adolescents, particularly during middle and early high school years, when young people may be more susceptible to manipulation or grooming. By introducing trafficking awareness during grades 6–8, this legislation helps equip students with the knowledge to identify risky situations, understand exploitation, and connect with trusted adults or resources for support.

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Task Force Position​​​​

HB0771 requires certain licensed health care professionals in Maryland to complete training on human trafficking awareness as part of their professional education or licensure requirements. The bill aims to ensure that health care providers are better equipped to recognize the signs of trafficking, respond appropriately to potential victims, and connect individuals with supportive services and resources.

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Why This Matters

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Health care settings are one of the few places where individuals experiencing trafficking may come into contact with professionals outside of their trafficker’s control. Providing human trafficking awareness training helps medical professionals identify indicators of exploitation, understand trauma-informed approaches to care, and safely respond to potential trafficking situations. For survivors, this increased awareness can lead to earlier identification, improved support, and greater opportunities.

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​​Task Force Position

HB0829 requires transportation network drivers and for-hire drivers—including those working through rideshare platforms such as Uber and Lyft—to complete human trafficking awareness and prevention training. The bill aims to ensure that drivers understand common indicators of trafficking, how to safely report suspected exploitation, and how to respond appropriately if they encounter potential trafficking situations. The legislation also addresses liability protections related to reporting suspected trafficking in good faith.

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Why This Matters 

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Transportation services are frequently used in human trafficking operations to move victims between locations, hotels, or buyers. Rideshare and for-hire drivers may encounter situations where trafficking is occurring but may not recognize the warning signs or know how to respond safely. By requiring trafficking awareness training, this bill helps equip drivers with the knowledge to identify potential exploitation and report concerns, strengthening community-wide efforts to prevent trafficking and connect survivors with help.

​Task Force Position

HB1348 authorizes certain mandated reporters who suspect human trafficking to refer or report directly to Maryland’s Regional Navigator Programs, which coordinate services for trafficking survivors across the state. The bill clarifies that reports of suspected human trafficking may be shared with these specialized programs so that trained professionals can assess the situation and connect individuals with appropriate support services.

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Why This Matters ​

 

For human trafficking survivors, this legislation helps ensure that identification leads to meaningful support. Many mandated reporters—such as healthcare providers, social service professionals, and educators—may encounter individuals experiencing trafficking but may not know where to refer them. Allowing direct referrals to Regional Navigator Programs strengthens Maryland’s coordinated response by helping survivors access trauma-informed advocacy, safety planning, and service coordination more quickly.

​Task Force Position

These bills seek to update Maryland’s wiretap and electronic recording laws to better support victims and survivors of crimes such as human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and other forms of abuse. Under current law, Maryland generally requires the consent of all parties before a private conversation can be recorded. The proposed legislation would create or expand exceptions that allow victims to record conversations related to criminal activity—such as exploitation, assault or threats—and permit those recordings to be used as evidence in court under certain circumstances.

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Why This Matters 

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For human trafficking survivors, these changes are significant because trafficking often occurs in private settings where there are few witnesses and limited traditional evidence. Allowing survivors to document violence, threats, recruitment, or control through recordings can strengthen investigations and prosecutions while reducing reliance on survivor testimony alone. These bills aim to provide survivors with safer ways to document exploitation and increase accountability for traffickers.

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Task Force Position

HB0501 strengthens Maryland law addressing sexual offenses committed by people in positions of authority over young people. The bill increases penalties for certain violations, expands who may be covered, and reinforces that adults who hold positions of trust, supervision, or authority over youth may not use that power to engage in sexual conduct. It recognizes that these relationships involve inherent power imbalances and should be treated with greater seriousness under the law.​

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Why This Matters 

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For human trafficking survivors and other vulnerable youth, this bill is important because exploitation often involves coercion by adults who hold authority, influence, or control. Strengthening accountability for abuse by authority figures helps address grooming and manipulation before exploitation escalates further. It also supports a broader survivor-centered approach by recognizing that consent can be compromised when there is a significant imbalance of power, trust, and dependency.

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Task Force Position 

HB0374 strengthens oversight and regulation of those providing acupuncture and acupressure services in Maryland to address the presence of illicit massage businesses (IMBs), which are frequently linked to human trafficking and sexual exploitation. The bill focuses on improving licensing requirements, clarifying operational standards, and strengthening enforcement mechanisms to help prevent businesses from operating under the guise of legitimate massage therapy while facilitating exploitation.

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Why This Matters 

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Illicit massage businesses are one of the most commonly identified venues for sex trafficking in the United States. By strengthening regulatory oversight and enforcement tools, this legislation helps state and local authorities identify and intervene in businesses where trafficking may be occurring. For survivors, stronger oversight can lead to earlier identification of exploitation, increased accountability for traffickers and facilitators, and greater opportunities for victims to be connected with support services and resources.

​Task Force Position

HB0819 establishes the Commission to examine the Expungement Laws of Maryland to evaluate current expungement processes and identify issues related to efficiency, accessibility, and equity. The Commission is tasked with reviewing Maryland’s existing laws governing the removal of criminal records and making recommendations to the General Assembly on potential reforms. A report with findings and recommendations is required to be submitted by December 31, 2027.

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Why This Matters

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For human trafficking survivors, criminal records—often stemming from offenses committed during periods of exploitation—can create significant barriers to housing, employment, education, and stability. By examining how Maryland’s expungement laws operate and identifying opportunities for reform, this legislation may help remove long-term legal barriers that disproportionately impact survivors and other vulnerable individuals seeking to rebuild their lives.

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Task Force Position