"Justice for Trafficked Minors Act"; create to require life imprisonment of traffickers.

HB 158, the "Justice for Trafficked Minors Act," would have amended Mississippi law to mandate life imprisonment for individuals convicted of trafficking minors or procuring minors for commercial sex. Specifically, it increased penalties under Sections 97-3-54.1 and 97-29-51 of the Mississippi Code, requiring life sentences for offenses involving minors (instead of up to 20 years) and adding mandatory reporting obligations for suspected minor trafficking cases to Child Protection Services. The bill also prohibited holding minors criminally liable for trafficking situations. This legislation died in committee on February 4, 2025, and did not become law.