Vermont Senate Judiciary Hearing Advances the Conversation on Decriminalization

The Vermont Senate Judiciary Committee held a pivotal hearing on human trafficking and prostitution, bringing renewed attention to the movement to decriminalize consensual adult sex work in Vermont. The hearing reflected both the growing momentum behind decriminalization and the continued debate over how best to protect vulnerable communities.

The committee heard testimony from a range of national and local experts. Witnesses included Melissa Sontag Broudo of Decriminalize Sex Work, Savannah Sly of New Moon Network, researcher Dr. Niina Vuolajärvi of the London School of Economics, and Henri June Bynx, co-founder and co-director of the Ishtar Collective. They are all powerful voices and advocates for the decriminalization of consensual adult sex work and spoke passionately about the public health and safety benefits of decriminalization, the discriminatory origins of anti-prostitution laws, the failures of the Nordic Model, and lived experience.

Advocates emphasized that conflating trafficking with consensual sex work can lead to policies that harm the very people they intend to protect, while others raised concerns about the broader impacts of criminalization. Criminalization pushes sex work underground, increasing vulnerability to violence and limiting access to healthcare, housing, and legal protections. Vermont lawmakers have been grappling with this reality for years, and the March 18 hearing is part of an ongoing, multi-year effort to rethink the state’s approach.

In recent years, Vermont has already seen significant legislative progress. In 2021, the state passed an immunity law allowing sex workers and trafficking survivors to seek help without fear of arrest. In 2022, voters in Burlington and officials in Montpelier moved to repeal local prohibitions on prostitution, signaling growing public support for reform. And in 2023, Vermont enacted one of the most comprehensive laws in the country addressing police sexual violence, including a ban on investigatory sexual conduct by law enforcement.

Building on these wins, lawmakers have continued to introduce legislation, including S.54 and H.190 that would fully decriminalize consensual adult sex work while maintaining strong penalties for trafficking and exploitation. These efforts reflect a broader understanding that safety and accountability are not achieved through criminalization but through clear protections and access to resources.

The March 18 hearing made it clear that Vermont is at a critical juncture. Though the state’s anti-prostitution laws have not been reevaluated since they were written in 1919, this moment took years of advocacy, community building, and incremental reform. The question now is whether the state will take the next step and become the first in the nation to fully decriminalize consensual adult sex work.