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Heated testimony as committee weighs felony penalties for buyers under HB 2526
Summary
HB 2526 would rename and reclassify patronizing a prostitute as 'commercial sexual exploitation' and elevate buyer conduct to a class C felony with higher fees; survivors and law enforcement urged accountability, while many sex-worker advocates warned criminalizing buyers will push activity underground and harm autonomous workers and survivors.
Members of the House Community Safety Committee heard hours of testimony on Jan. 20 about House Bill 2526, which would rename the offense of patronizing a prostitute as "commercial sexual exploitation," expand the means-of-commission language, elevate it from a misdemeanor to a class C felony, and raise statutory fees with at least half of revenues reserved for prevention and victim services.
Proponents included prosecutors, trafficking survivors and victim-advocates who described buyer…
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