SB 1603 Virginia Senate · 2019 Regular Session

Human trafficking; prevention and awareness.

Summary
Provides that any person who commits an act of aiding prostitution or illicit sexual intercourse or using a vehicle to promote prostitution or unlawful sexual intercourse, when such act involves a minor, is guilty of a Class 6 felony. Under current law, such acts are punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill adds these two new felony offenses to (i) the definition of "violent felony" for the purposes of sentencing guidelines, (ii) the definition of barrier crimes for the purposes of background checks for employees or volunteers providing care to children or the elderly or disabled, (iii) the definition of predicate criminal acts for street gangs, (iv) the definition of racketeering activity under the Virginia Racketeer Influence and Corrupt Organization Act, (v) the list of violations that a multi-jurisdiction grand jury is responsible for investigating, and (vi) the list of offenses requiring registration in the Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry. The bill includes touching the intimate parts of another person with the intent to sexually arouse or gratify or allowing another person to touch one's own intimate parts with the intent to sexually arouse or gratify to the list of conduct that, when done for money or its equivalent, constitutes prostitution, which is punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor or, when such act involves a minor, a Class 6 felony. The bill also provides that any person who receives money for procuring another person for the purpose of causing such person to touch the intimate parts of another person with the intent to sexually arouse or gratify is guilty of a Class 4 felony or, if such offense involves procuring a minor, a Class 3 felony. The bill also adds felony prostitution and felony human trafficking offenses involving a minor to the definition of "violent felony" for the purposes of sentencing guidelines and provides that each violation of commercial sex trafficking is a separate and distinct felony. The bill allows a court to order, upon application by the attorney for the Commonwealth or the defendant, that the testimony of (a) a child victim of an offense of commercial sex trafficking or prostitution, if such child is 14 years of age or younger at the time of the offense and 16 years of age or younger at the time of the trial, or (b) a child witness of such offense, if such child is 14 years of age or younger at the time of trial, be taken by two-way closed-circuit television.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2019
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 9, 2019 Last action Feb 6, 2019
Floor votes

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
4
Key actions
0
Committee
2
Jan 16, 2019
Committee
Rereferred to Finance
upper
Jan 9, 2019
Committee
Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
upper
Jan 9, 2019
Introduced
Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/19 19104156D
upper
1 primary · 1 co-sponsor

Sponsors