What this bill does:
- This bill criminalizes sex workers AND sex trafficking survivors, with FELONY convictions, for doing things as simple as working together for safety.
- This bill would criminalize sex workers clients, soliciting charges would become a class A misdemeanor and the third offense would be a class C felony.
- This bill creates the new crimes of FELONY PROSTITUTION. Prostitution in the 1st degree, Class B Felony: Manages, supervises, controls or owns a place of prostitution or prostitution enterprise.
- Another new crime created by HB 68, Patron of Victim of Sex Trafficking, would make it a felony to merely solicit someone with reckless disregard that they may be a trafficking victim. This means that if a client made an appointment with an escort and upon arriving discovered that she was a trafficking victim, he would already be guilty of a felony merely for soliciting her.
What this bill does not do:
- This bill does not create a safe way to report sex trafficking.
- This bill does not vacate prostitution charges for sex trafficking survivors with ease; the burden of proof is on the victim to prove they were a victim, which is retraumatizing.
PLEASE CALL IN AND EMAIL
When to testify: Tuesday April 30 @ 1:30 PM
How to testify: Call in 15 minutes before the scheduled hearing and ask to testify on HB 68 in the House Finance Committee. Anchorage 907-563-9085 Juneau 907-586-9085 All other locations 844-586-9085
You will be given 5 minutes to testify. Feel free to use the information on this page or the OPPOSE HB 68 download letter below.
SAMPLE LETTER TO SEND to House.Finance@akleg.gov
The language of HB 68 unintentionally criminalizing individuals not actively involved in sex trafficking, as highlighted by Department of Law Director Skidmore’s testimony. Concerns raised by Representative Gray made apparent the consequences, disproportionately affecting sex workers and sex trafficking survivors and hindering efforts to combat trafficking effectively. Additionally, the classification of offenses as unclassified felonies and high-level felonies lead to harsh penalties, disproportionately impacting individuals, including trafficking survivors, and furthering the stigma of sex workers and sex trafficking survivors.
The proposed Patron of Victim of Sex Trafficking statute fails to differentiate between exploiters and those unknowingly involved, creating ambiguity and deterring reporting. Alaska Legislatures’ that want to stop sex trafficking need to no on HB 68.
Watch this video which clearly shows that the Department of Law is intent on charging individuals working together, with no force, fraud or coercion, with UNCLASSIFIED FELONYS. This is date March 20, 2023. HB 68 was amended and rather than UNCLASSIFIED FELONY the updated version of HB 68 allows for a sex worker working with a friend, a fellow sex worker, to be charged with a CLASS B FELONY.