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House committee advances bill that narrows prostitution penalties, boosts buyer penalties and directs fees to survivor services
Summary
The House Community Safety Committee advanced substitute HB 2526 on Feb. 3, 2026, adopting an amendment that directs referrals to services for first and second investigative detentions and raises penalties for buyers; the committee reported the substitute out on a 5–4 vote.
The House Community Safety Committee on Feb. 3 advanced a substitute to House Bill 2526 that renames and restructures the law governing prostitution, prioritizes referrals to services for people engaged in sex work on first and second investigative detentions, and increases penalties for repeat purchaser offenses.
Supporters including the bill proponent and a member with lived experience said the substitute, H3308.1, strikes a balance between holding buyers accountable and reducing criminalization of people who are trafficked or exploited. The sponsor described the change as renaming the offense to “patronizing a person for prostitution,” classifying first and second convictions as gross misdemeanors and third or subsequent convictions as class C felonies, directing 98% of…
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