Senate advances bill targeting illicit massage parlors and human trafficking, amid concerns about criminalizing victims

The Senate Committee of the Whole on Feb. 27 recommended passage of House Bill 62, legislation designed to add "sexual contact" definitions to Wyoming’s prostitution statutes and enable law-enforcement action against illicit massage parlors that are often linked to human trafficking.

Sponsor Senator Schueller told colleagues the change would close a statutory loophole that allowed some establishments to offer manual sexual stimulation without criminal exposure. She said the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Task Force and law enforcement have identified 15–20 illicit massage parlors in the state and that the bill would give investigators an entry point to break up trafficking rings and help victims.

Opponents—including Senator Nethercott, Senator Otis and others—argued the bill risks criminalizing the trafficked individuals themselves. They cited Wyoming’s "safe harbor" statute (W.S. 6-2-708), which provides defense and vacatur paths for trafficking victims but acknowledged the process can be cumbersome. Senator Nethercott urged exploring regulatory or business‑practice enforcement tools to avoid making victims criminals.

Supporters said law enforcement is increasingly taking a victim-centered approach and that the bill would assist investigations by classifying certain sexual-contact acts as prostitution, enabling prosecution of controllers and traffickers rather than victims. Senator Olson noted the safe-harbor provision and said strong law-enforcement training can prevent wrongful prosecutions.

The Committee of the Whole adopted the recommendation to pass the bill (voice votes recorded); the transcript records a counted committee outcome of 15 ayes, 10 nos following a standing division. Sponsors indicated further work on enforcement and ensuring victim protections will continue as the bill advances.