Bill > HB1265

This bill addresses commercial sexual exploitation by making several key changes to existing law, focusing on holding buyers accountable and supporting survivors. The bill reclassifies patronizing a prostitute from a misdemeanor to a class C felony, and significantly increases the financial penalties for those convicted of commercial sexual exploitation. The legislation recognizes that commercial sexual exploitation disproportionately impacts vulnerable populations, including women, children, young adults, indigenous communities, communities of color, foster youth, and LGBTQ+ individuals. The bill proposes a comprehensive approach with two main components: (1) providing robust support services for victims and survivors, including transition services, housing, and trauma recovery resources, and (2) suppressing demand by targeting buyers who are the primary source of violence and profits in commercial sexual exploitation. The financial penalties collected from offenders will be used to fund prevention and rehabilitation efforts, with at least 50% of the revenue dedicated to education programs, offender rehabilitation, and victim support services such as mental health counseling, vocational training, housing relief, and employment counseling. Additionally, 2% of the collected fees will be reported to the department of commerce to track the implementation and impact of these efforts.