State Representative Selina Bliss (R-1) is celebrating the signing into law of House Bill 2720, which cracks down on prostitution in the Grand Canyon State.
What the Bill Does
State Rep. Bliss's HB 2720 specifically makes paying, agreeing to pay, or offering to pay for sex a felony offense with mandatory jail time, and offenders must pay a $200 assessment that will be put toward providing services for victims of sex trafficking.
In addition, people convicted of prostitution who had the conviction vacated because they were trafficking victims will have their records sealed, thereby allowing victims to have a fresh start without carrying an unnecessary burden.
What Bliss Has to Say
"Arizona is going after the demand that fuels prostitution and sex trafficking," said State Rep. Bliss in a press release. "This is a victory for families, neighborhoods, and victims who deserve a path out. The people paying for sex are funding an industry that traffickers exploit, and communities across Arizona are left to deal with the crime, abuse, and damage that follow. This law holds offenders accountable, puts money directly toward helping victims recover, and puts every person who pays for sex in Arizona on notice: you can face jail time, a felony record, and the consequences that come with it."
Similar Previous Bills
In March, State Senator Shawnna Bolick (R-2) championed Senate Bill 1416, which would require police to report missing children to state and national databases more quickly, immediately notify the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and issue public alerts through media and social platforms without delay.
That same month, Senate Bill 1077, which would establish a serious felony to knowingly profit from websites or platforms used to facilitate child sex trafficking, passed the Arizona Senate along party lines.
Yavapai County Sheriff David Rhodes praised both measures, saying, "These laws will give better tools to law enforcement in the fight to protect our children from these monsters who are profiteering off of their vulnerability."
