Bill > A03251

This bill, known as "Cecilia's act for rights in the sex trades," aims to decriminalize certain prostitution offenses by amending existing laws. It redefines "prostitution" to focus on the act of exchanging sexual conduct for a fee, while also introducing new definitions for "patronizes a person for prostitution" and "person who is patronized" to clarify the roles of those involved. The bill repeals several sections of the penal law related to prostitution and amends others to adjust penalties and defenses, particularly concerning minors and school zones. Importantly, it also includes provisions for eliminating prior criminal records for certain offenses that are being decriminalized, allowing individuals to apply for their records to be vacated and sealed, and makes conforming changes to various other laws to align with these decriminalization efforts.