SB 45: An Act amending Titles 18 (Crimes and Offenses), 23 (Domestic Relations), 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure), 44 (Law and Justice), 61 (Prisons and Parole) and 63 (Professions and Occupations (State Licensed)) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in human trafficking, further providing for definitions, providing for the offense of promoting prostitution, for the offense of living off of prostituted persons and for the offense of patronizing prostitution and further providing for grants; in public indecency, further providing for prostitution and related offenses; establishing the Prevention of Human Trafficking Restricted Account; in child protective services, further providing for definitions; in sentencing, further providing for sexual offenses and tier system; in DNA data and testing, further providing for definitions; in interstate compacts, further providing for supervision of persons paroled by other states; and, in powers and duties relating to the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, further providing for consideration of criminal convictions. - Pennsylvania

Printer's No. PN1761 → Printer's No. PN1791 · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill version updates the printer's number and amends the effective date of the legislation from June 3 to June 8, 2026. It also adds specific definitions for 'prostitution' and 'sexual activity' to clarify legal terms and expands the list of acts that constitute promoting prostitution, particularly regarding minors and housing. Additionally, it modifies the tier system for sexual offenses to include new crimes related to prostitution.

Scope change

The bill's scope is expanded to explicitly include new definitions for prostitution and sexual activity, and it broadens the list of prohibited acts for promoting prostitution, especially concerning minors and property used for such activities.

TIMELINE

The effective date of the act was changed from June 3, 2026, to June 8, 2026.

DEFINITION

New definitions were added for 'PROSTITUTION' and 'SEXUAL ACTIVITY' to provide clear legal meanings for these terms.

REQUIREMENT

The list of acts constituting promoting prostitution was expanded to include specific provisions regarding minors and leasing places for prostitution.

SCOPE

The tier system for sexual offenses was updated to include new offenses related to prostitution and promoting prostitution.

Printer's No. PN1759 → Printer's No. PN1761 · 6 edits

MODERATE

This bill updates Pennsylvania's prostitution and human trafficking laws to modernize terminology and expand criminal penalties. The most significant change is the removal of the term 'prostituted person' and its replacement with 'person in prostitution' to better reflect that these individuals are victims rather than criminals. Additionally, the bill introduces new criminal offenses for promoting prostitution, including specific provisions for minors and trafficking scenarios, while updating related definitions across multiple state titles.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of criminal liability by adding new offenses for promoting prostitution and trafficking, particularly focusing on the protection of minors and victims. It also broadens the definition of sexual offenses for registration and supervision purposes.

DEFINITION

Replaced the term 'prostituted person' with 'person in prostitution' throughout the text to emphasize victim status.

Updated the definition of 'sexual abuse or exploitation' to include actual or simulated sexual activity for sexual stimulation.

ENFORCEMENT

Added new criminal offenses for promoting prostitution, including soliciting patrons, procuring individuals for patrons, and transporting individuals with intent to promote prostitution.

Introduced specific criminal provisions for the promotion of prostitution involving minors, including procuring minors for patrons and transporting minors for trafficking.

REQUIREMENT

Revised the list of offenses classified as 'sexual offenses' for registration and supervision purposes to reflect updated statutes.

TIMELINE

Changed the effective date of the act from 60 days after March 18, 2026, to 60 days after June 3, 2026.

Printer's No. PN1627 → Printer's No. PN1759 · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill update refines legal definitions regarding prostitution and human trafficking, clarifies the scope of criminal offenses, and adjusts sentencing guidelines. It also standardizes formatting for consistency across different sections of the statute.

Scope change

The bill's scope was clarified by removing ambiguous references to 'persons' in favor of specific terms like 'prostituted person' or 'person in prostitution,' and by redefining the age threshold for certain offenses from 'minor' to 'adult' in specific contexts.

DEFINITION

Updated the definition of 'prostituted person' to explicitly include 'person in prostitution' to ensure consistent terminology across the law.

Changed the definition of who commits the offense of prostitution from 'a person other than a minor' to 'an adult,' clarifying that minors are treated under separate provisions.

Standardized capitalization and formatting of legal terms throughout the document to improve readability and legal precision.

ENFORCEMENT

Adjusted sentencing guidelines for patronizing prostitution, increasing penalties for repeat offenders from third-degree felonies to first-degree felonies in certain cases.

REQUIREMENT

Removed redundant or conflicting definitions of 'sexual abuse or exploitation' to streamline the list of related offenses.

Printer's No. PN1512 → Printer's No. PN1627 · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill update expands the scope of Pennsylvania's human trafficking and prostitution laws by adding Title 23 (Domestic Relations) and several other titles to the list of amended statutes. It introduces a new 'Restricted' designation for the Human Trafficking Account, adjusts fine amounts for repeat offenders, and significantly broadens the definition of 'sexual abuse or exploitation' to include promoting prostitution. The changes also update criminal tier classifications and registration requirements to explicitly include promoting prostitution alongside other sexual offenses.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from primarily Title 18 (Crimes) to include Titles 23, 42, 44, 61, and 63, affecting domestic relations, judicial procedure, law enforcement, prisons, and professional licensing.

FISCAL

The Prevention of Human Trafficking Account was renamed to the 'Human Trafficking RESTRICTED Account,' implying stricter controls on how funds are used or distributed.

ENFORCEMENT

Fines for repeat offenders promoting prostitution were increased; a second offense now carries a fine of $5,000 to $25,000, up from the previous maximum.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'sexual abuse or exploitation' in child protective services laws was expanded to explicitly include 'promoting prostitution' as a form of sexual exploitation.

REQUIREMENT

Criminal tier systems for sexual offenses were updated to classify 'promoting prostitution' as a Tier II offense and a 'felony sex offense' for registration purposes.

New provisions require state agencies and professional licensing boards to consider criminal convictions for promoting prostitution when evaluating applicants.

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