Category: DSW Newsletters

After years of tireless advocacy, we are on the verge of making history. A.1029-B/S.3967-B, New York’s groundbreaking Immunity Bill, has passed both chambers of the Legislature with unanimous, bipartisan support — a rare and powerful show of unity. Now, the bill sits on Governor Kathy Hochul’s desk, awaiting her signature.

We need your voice to help push this over the finish line. It just takes a moment! Click here to email Governor Hochul and urge her to sign this common sense legislation.

This bill grants conditional immunity to survivors of trafficking and sex workers who come forward as victims or witnesses of a crime. It removes the fear of arrest and prosecution, empowering them to report serious crimes like assault, trafficking, or murder.

Such a law could have made a difference in the long-delayed investigation of the Gilgo Beach serial killings.  Many women who were aware of the accused killer, Rex Heuermann, were too afraid to report information to authorities for fear of arrest and stigma.

Supported by survivors, advocates, and district attorneys across the state, this bill is a long-overdue public safety measure. Eleven other states have already passed similar laws. It's time New York does too.

Help us make history and protect vulnerable New Yorkers.
Email Governor Hochul now.

Click here to take action.

For the most part, the 2025 legislative session has concluded across the country, with only a handful of states still in special or biennial sessions that will carry into next year. This year saw a troubling wave of bills increasing penalties for people who consensually purchase sex from adults. At the same time, legislatures gave significant attention to survivor-centered measures, including proposals for criminal record relief and sentence mitigation for trafficking survivors. Encouragingly, 2025 also marked a record-breaking year for the number of decriminalization bills introduced.

Below, we highlight the legislation that passed — some advancing the rights and safety of sex workers, others exacerbating criminalization — as well as notable bills still under consideration in states where sessions remain active.

Newly Enacted Laws

Hawaii (HB689/SB292): Lawmakers enacted safe harbor protections for people seeking help in good faith. While the law is framed around “sex trafficking survivors,” the immunity provisions also apply to consensual adult sex workers. Individuals cannot be arrested, prosecuted, or penalized when seeking medical assistance or reporting crimes. However, because of the bill’s explicit “End Demand” language, these protections do not extend to clients who report crimes they witness.

Rhode Island (S278/H5358): Rhode Island passed a bill creating immunity protections for sex workers reporting crimes. The law does not extend to clients but provides affirmative defense protections for trafficking survivors. The state also enacted H5348/S269, removing mandatory HIV testing for those convicted of commercial sexual activity and replacing it with an opt-in model. Additionally, the Governor signed H5357/S296, repealing fees that had been imposed only on women convicted of prostitution.

Vermont (S12): Vermont expanded its sealing and expungement laws to cover prostitution-related convictions, including solicitation and selling sex.

Harmful New Laws

Mississippi (HB1189): Lawmakers added mandatory fines of up to $1,000 for prostitution solicitation convictions.

Utah (HB22 & HB38): Two harmful bills were enacted. HB22 makes prostitution a felony for people who are HIV positive. HB38 sharply increases fines for solicitation and makes it easier to escalate charges to felonies using out-of-state convictions.

California (AB379): California created a new crime of loitering with the intent to purchase sex, punishable by fines up to $1,000.

New Hampshire (SB267 & HB405): SB267 increases penalties for solicitation, while HB405 created new offenses related to “illicit massage businesses” and expanded liability for property owners.

Louisiana (HB5): Dramatically increases penalties for buyers, raising fines and jail time for those purchasing sex from adults.

Passed but Vetoed

Nevada (AB209): Lawmakers passed a safe harbor bill offering immunity protections, but the measure was significantly narrowed through amendments, limiting protections mostly to medical assistance and excluding witnesses. Governor Joe Lombardo vetoed the bill.

Still in Play: Bills Under Consideration

Because some state legislatures remain in session, a handful of important bills are not yet decided:

Massachusetts (H1747, H1980, H1587/S1256, H1755, H2634): Several DSW-sponsored bills remain active, including immunity legislation, full decriminalization, and expansions of protections against police sexual violence.

New York (A1029/S3967): A DSW-sponsored immunity bill has passed the legislature and awaits the governor’s signature. Help get it signed here.

Wisconsin (AB84/SB138): A proposal mandating a $5,000 fine for solicitation remains in committee.

Pennsylvania (HB632/SB647): Pending bills would remove enhanced HIV penalties tied to prostitution and allow resentencing for past convictions.

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) has taken a monumental step in preserving the history of sex work advocacy. This August, the UNLV Libraries' Special Collections & Archives announced the acquisition of the Norma Jean Almodovar Papers which is one of the most comprehensive collections of sex work activism materials in the United States.

Spanning over a century (1918–2022) and consisting of more than 80 cubic feet of material, this groundbreaking archive includes personal writings, legal documents, media appearances, organizational records, and more. Much of it comes from Almodovar’s work with the International Sex Worker Foundation for Art, Culture, and Education (ISWFACE), which she founded and led until 2023.

A former Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) traffic officer who became a sex worker and fierce critic of criminalization, Norma Jean Almodovar has spent decades fighting for sex worker rights, exposing corruption, and advocating for justice and safety for all people in the sex trade. Her decision to donate her life’s work to UNLV marks a pivotal moment in preserving the often-erased histories of sex workers and their movements.

The collection is part of UNLV’s broader Sexual Entertainment and Economies initiative, a collaborative effort launched in 2023 to document the cultural and economic impact of adult industries, especially in Las Vegas, a city central to this history. The archive is expected to be a major resource for scholars, students, journalists, and activists for years to come.

UNLV’s Director of Special Collections & Archives, Sarah Quigley, expressed deep appreciation for the donation, calling it a “transformative” addition to the university’s holdings. Sociology Professor Barb Brents, who helped facilitate the acquisition, noted that the archive preserves not only the activism of a single woman but the broader story of a powerful movement that continues today.

This milestone represents a significant recognition of the importance of documenting and honoring the history of sex worker rights and ensuring that future generations have access to these vital stories.

Read more about Norma Jean Almodovar here.

In a meaningful step toward financial fairness, the White House issued an Executive Order on August 7 aimed at curbing discriminatory banking practices that have long affected individuals and businesses, particularly those in the adult industry. The order specifically prohibits financial institutions from using vague, subjective concepts like “reputational risk” to deny or restrict access to essential banking services. It also requires regulators to review past cases where accounts may have been unfairly closed, and to ensure affected individuals or businesses are given a path to reinstatement.

The Free Speech Coalition, the trade association of the adult entertainment industry, has spent years in Washington, D.C., meeting with lawmakers across the political spectrum to raise awareness about the widespread issue of “debanking.” These efforts focused especially on how such practices harm sex workers, many of whom operate legally, but face systemic barriers to financial stability simply because of the stigma associated with their work.

For sex workers, financial discrimination can have far-reaching consequences. Personal and business accounts are often closed without notice. Funds can be frozen mid-transaction, credit applications denied, and access to major platforms like PayPal, Square, and Venmo abruptly revoked. Even performers and creators who comply fully with platform policies and operate legitimate businesses have found themselves locked out of banking systems, with little or no explanation.

The effects are destabilizing. Many sex workers are pushed into cash-only transactions, which increases risk of theft and makes it harder to save, budget, or build long-term financial security. Some lose access to housing, healthcare, or childcare when automatic payments fail or banking disruptions occur. In other cases, workers have been unable to pay taxes or apply for loans because of blocked access to basic services. These are not isolated incidents and they reflect a broader pattern of exclusion rooted in judgment, not legality.

By directing federal regulators to revise policies, remove biased guidance, and provide clearer protections for lawful businesses, the Executive Order sends a clear message: financial services are essential infrastructure, not a privilege reserved for the socially accepted. Everyone deserves access, including those whose work may be misunderstood or unfairly maligned.

“While there is still more work to be done, this is a tremendous victory for all those who fought against financial discrimination,” the Free Speech Coalition said in a statement.

This August, members of the Decriminalize Sex Work (DSW) team traveled to Boston, MA, to attend the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Legislative Summit, one of the largest annual gatherings of lawmakers, policy experts, and advocates from across the country.

The summit provided a valuable opportunity for DSW to connect directly with legislators, share evidence-based research, and advance conversations around the urgent need for the decriminalization of consensual adult sex work and related policy reforms. As more states begin to examine the public safety and public health impacts of criminalizing consensual adult sex work, DSW’s presence at NCSL was more important than ever.

DSW also organized a well-attended social event during the summit, bringing together legislators, policy advocates, and allies for an evening of networking and meaningful conversation. The event created space for open dialogue about harm reduction, legal reform, and survivor-centered approaches to policymaking. Many attendees expressed appreciation for the opportunity to engage in honest conversations about criminal justice reform outside of the formal conference setting.

Throughout the conference, DSW staff engaged with elected officials from both sides of the aisle, participated in key policy discussions, and distributed educational materials about model legislation and the lived experiences of sex workers and trafficking survivors.

“This conference is an essential space for building relationships and ensuring lawmakers hear directly from those most affected by outdated and harmful laws,” said DSW Chief Advocacy Coordinator Henri Bynx. “We’re proud to bring a human rights and public health lens to these national policy conversations.”

With legislators from all 50 states in attendance, DSW’s presence helped amplify the voices of sex workers and survivors, while encouraging more informed, compassionate, and effective policymaking.

In July, staff from Decriminalize Sex Work (DSW) traveled to the Massachusetts State House to testify in support of two important bills aimed at protecting the health, safety, and rights of sex workers and survivors of trafficking. These legislative efforts represent vital steps toward more humane, evidence-based approaches to sex work policy in the Commonwealth.

On July 10, DSW offered testimony before the Joint Committee on Public Health in support of H.2467, a bill that would establish an interagency committee to study the decriminalization of sex work in Massachusetts. The proposed committee would include representatives from various state agencies, advocacy groups, direct service organizations, and members of affected communities. Its mission would be to assess the impacts of criminalizing sex work and to develop recommendations on how to better support the health, safety, and autonomy of sex workers. The committee would also examine effective strategies for eliminating human trafficking in the commercial sex sector, centering public health and human rights in its analysis.

Addressing the criminalization of sex work is a complex and multifaceted challenge, and H.2467 acknowledges the need for thoughtful, collaborative policy development rooted in data and lived experience. The creation of this committee would mark a critical step toward understanding the consequences of current laws and identifying practical solutions to reduce harm.

Just five days later, on July 15, DSW testified before the Joint Committee on the Judiciary in support of H.1747, a safe reporting bill designed to improve public safety by encouraging victims and witnesses of crime to come forward without fear of prosecution. This legislation would protect individuals from being charged with certain offenses when they report a crime, ensuring that people involved in the sex trade, regardless of the circumstances that brought them there, can safely seek help from law enforcement. By removing barriers to reporting, H.1747 would enhance trust in public institutions and improve outcomes for communities often overlooked or underserved by the justice system.

Together, these two bills represent a meaningful opportunity for Massachusetts to lead on pragmatic, compassionate policy reform. DSW remains committed to supporting legislation that recognizes sex work as a public health and human rights issue and works to reduce the harms caused by criminalization.