Sex Work Act, 655

An act to regulate and make safe all forms of sex work.

PASSED the General Assembly, September 12th, 2023. 14 AYE, 7 NAY, 0 ABSTAIN.

Article One

1.1 Sex work shall be defined as any sex act bought or sold by any means within the confines of a brothel or a private residence. Sex work shall not be permitted to take place on any public or state property, in any public place, or in any place of business, except for licensed brothels. Private rooms in a place of business that offers temporary lodging shall be considered a private residence for the purpose of this act.

1.1.1 A sex worker is defined as any registered person who sells any sex act within the confines of a brothel or a private residence.

1.1.2 A client is defined as any person who buys, by any means, any sex act from a sex worker within the confines of a brothel or a private residence.

1.1.3 A brothel is defined as any licensed place of business solely operated as a place of work for sex workers.

Article Two

2.1 Sex workers shall be registered with the Ministry of Commerce and Labor. Sex workers shall carry proof of registration while providing sex services and must display proof of registration upon the request of an authorized individual for official purposes.

2.1.1 Sex workers must be 25 years of age. Sex workers must be of sound mind and able to make informed and reasonable decisions.

2.2 Brothels shall be licensed by the Ministry of Commerce and Labor. Brothels must meet all workplace safety requirements. Additionally, brothels must provide free access to prophylactics for any sex worker, encourage safe-sex practices, and provide regular and frequent testing for all sexually transmitted diseases.

2.2.1 Operating a brothel without a license or in violation of Section 2.2 of this act shall be defined as a felony.

Article Three

3.1 Any sex worker may refuse to provide sex services at any time for any reason and must be compensated for partial sex acts or hours worked.

3.2 Compelling any sex worker to provide any sex act without due compensation, consent, or safety precautions shall be defined as assault. Inducing any sex worker to provide any sex act by use of threats or influence of any kind shall be defined as assault.

3.3 Allowing for any minor to engage in any sex work as defined in Article One shall be defined as child abuse.

3.4 A brothel withholding wages lawfully earned by any sex worker for any reason shall be defined as a felony.

3.5 Any act of harm against any person based on their status as a sex worker shall be defined as a hate crime.

Article Four

4.1 The Ministry of Commerce and Labor shall be authorized to enforce any section of this act.

4.2 The tax upon the purchase of sex work shall be set at 30%.

4.3 The hourly wage of a sex worker within a brothel shall be set at no less than thrice the established minimum wage.