Bill > SB6251

This bill makes it a Class C felony to knowingly publish, disseminate, or display any advertisement for a commercial sex act, which is defined as any sexual contact or intercourse for which something of value is given or received, that is to take place in Washington and includes the depiction of a minor. The bill clarifies that "advertisement for a commercial sex act" can be in electronic or print media and offers an explicit or implicit offer for such an act, and "depiction" refers to photographs or visual or printed matter. It is not a defense to claim ignorance of the minor's age, but a defendant can prove they made a reasonable, good-faith effort to verify the minor's age by requiring official identification before publication, and must provide records of this verification to law enforcement. The bill also includes a severability clause to ensure that if any part conflicts with federal funding requirements, only the conflicting part becomes inoperative, not the entire act.