Bill > H1980

This bill is designed to promote the health and safety of people in the sex trade by making several significant legal changes. The bill first defines "commercial sex" and "sex worker" in state law, then repeals several existing laws that criminalize prostitution, such as statutes related to "common night walkers" and street walking. It replaces an existing law about living off the earnings of a prostitute with a new provision that focuses on prosecuting human trafficking and exploitation, specifically protecting sex workers who share living expenses from being prosecuted. The bill also introduces a comprehensive expungement process for marijuana and prostitution-related criminal records, which means these records will be completely removed from criminal databases. Under the new law, individuals with such expunged records cannot be discriminated against in employment, and they can legally state they have "no record" when asked about past arrests or convictions. Additionally, the bill establishes more stringent penalties for human trafficking, particularly involving minors, with potential prison sentences of 5 to 20 years and fines up to $25,000, while also allowing victims to bring civil actions against traffickers.

Justice

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H1980