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Do you support decriminalizing prostitution?
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The Sex Trade Survivors Justice and Equality Act (STSJEA), introduced by Democratic Assemblywoman Pamela Hunter, would decriminalize prostitution and automatically expunge all prior convictions for prostitution.
If passed, the bill would also:
- Eliminate a loophole in New York State law that prevents sex abusers from being charged with promotion of prostitution when they traffic people to themselves
- Prevent people from being charged as an accomplice to promoting prostitution when they are helping others in prostitution and are not profiting, and they are being exploited by a third party
- Develop and expand health, housing, and education programs for survivors of sex trafficking
- Expand legal protections and services for minors who are arrested for prostitution to cover people up to age 24
- Prohibit the usage of condoms as evidence in criminal trials for prostitution
"New York needs a nuanced and fact-based approach to ending the sex trade while uplifting and supporting survivors," said bill co-sponsor, Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, one of dozens of supporters who rallied in support of the bill at the New York State Capitol in Albany on Tuesday, May 14.
"The STSJEA does just that, providing for specialized services that will enable those that want to leave the sex trade instead of punishing them, and ensuring that buyers, pimps, and traffickers are held accountable with strict penalties. I am proud to sponsor this legislation and will continue to fight for its passage."
Sen. Liz Krueger, another co-sponsor of the legislation, echoed Paulin’s sentiment, saying New York has the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Maine, which enacted similar legislation in June 2023.
“People bought and sold in the sex trade should be protected, not prosecuted, while targeting the source of exploitation and holding perpetrators accountable for the harm they cause," she said.
Click here to view the complete bill text.
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