Criminal law; crime of promoting prostitution, penalty increased; crime of soliciting prostitution, penalty increased for repeat violations and soliciting trafficking victims

HB 158 increases penalties for promoting and soliciting prostitution in Alabama. It upgrades promoting prostitution to a Class D felony (from a misdemeanor) and adds tiered penalties for soliciting: a second violation becomes a misdemeanor with mandatory jail time (5+ days), while third or subsequent violations become a Class D felony (30+ days jail). Crucially, it mandates a Class D felony charge for anyone soliciting trafficking victims (as defined in state law), regardless of whether the perpetrator knew the victim was trafficked. The bill directly affects individuals engaging in or facilitating prostitution, particularly repeat offenders and those exploiting trafficking victims.