DSW Leads Coalition Lobbying at New York State Capitol

A.S.H. (Advocates for Safety and Health) organized nearly twenty advocates from across New York who braved a blizzard to make their voices heard at the State Capitol! During an action-packed Lobby Day in Albany, the team met with twenty-one legislators to share their 2026 legislative platform and build support for bills that advance safety, health, and human rights for all New Yorkers.

Decriminalize Sex Work (DSW) played a leading role in coordinating the day alongside a powerful coalition of advocacy and legal organizations united in pushing for evidence-based, harm-reduction policies. The day was a success, and A.S.H. looks forward to building on that momentum for a busy and productive legislative season ahead.

Learn more about A.S.H here and follow along for updated on IG @ashnewyorkstate.

S7448 (TBD) / A178 (Cruz)

This bill would strengthen New York’s 2016 law that prohibits using condoms as evidence of prostitution by expanding the protection to all prostitution-related offenses and civil claims. It would also ensure that all reproductive and sexual health devices — not just condoms — are covered. By removing the fear that carrying condoms or other health tools could be used as evidence against them, the bill promotes public health and safety for sex workers and all New Yorkers, reducing the criminalization of self-protection and harm reduction practices.

S4404 (May) / A5399 (Hunter)

This bill would make it illegal for law-enforcement officers to engage in sexual contact with anyone who is a victim, witness, subject, or person of interest in an investigation — not just people in custody. It closes a serious gap in New York’s penal law by recognizing that people interacting with police during investigations can also be vulnerable to coercion or abuse. The measure builds on similar protections enacted in other states and is especially important for protecting sex workers and trafficking survivors, who are often targeted in undercover investigations.

A588 (Paulin) / S3040 (TBD)

This bill would automatically vacate, dismiss, and expunge all convictions under New York’s former “loitering for the purpose of prostitution” law — the discriminatory statute often known as the “Walking While Trans” ban, repealed in 2021. It ensures that everyone previously convicted under the old law has their records fully cleared, with law-enforcement agencies notified and records either marked as expunged or destroyed upon request. By eliminating the lasting harm of convictions that targeted trans women, sex workers, and trafficking survivors, the bill provides long-overdue justice and a true clean slate for those impacted by a law that never should have existed.