Oregon Senate OKs bill to aid human trafficking victims

More people engaged in sex worker activities would report crimes – such as person felonies like human trafficking – if they know they will not be charged with prostitution as a result of reporting, backers of Senate-passed legislation said.

Senate Bill 596 – which passed by a 29-0 vote Monday on the Senate floor – makes certain that if an individual is the victim of a person felony while they are engaged in prostitution or attempted prostitution, they will not be charged with those crimes if they choose to report to law enforcement.

“Whether one self-identifies as a sex worker or is a victim of trafficking, I believe we can all agree that these individuals have rights,” said Sen. Kathleen Taylor (D-Milwaukie), who carried the bill on the Senate floor. “All humans, no matter their particular situation, are valuable and deserve safety and access to the justice system, as well as the resources that come with accessing that system.”

According to state law, a person felony includes a wide variety of crimes that can include forms of assault, sexual assault, child sexual abuse, sexual misconduct, compelling prostitution and a number of other offenses.

A person commits the crime of prostitution when the person engages in – or offers or agrees to engage in – sexual conduct or sexual contact in exchange for a fee. Senate Bill 596 extends protections from criminal liability for prostitution when an individual is reporting a person felony committed against them.

Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney J.R. Ujifusa also expressed support for the measure, stating that aim of the bill is “to protect victims and to undercut control tactics of buyers or traffickers from threatening those victims against reporting.”

Senate Bill 596 now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.