Pennsylvania Lawmakers Pass Survivor-Centered Reforms

Pennsylvania has moved one step closer to becoming a survivor-centered leader in the anti-human trafficking movement.

Previously, state law penalized victims engaging in prostitution, yet inadequately held their exploiters accountable and failed to prioritize prevention efforts in the high risk hospitality industry.

In passing Senate Bill 45 (Sens. Cris Dush and Maria Collett) and House Bill 1286 (Reps. Regina Young and Rob Leadbeter), policymakers are shifting penalties from victims to funders of exploitation, increasing anti-human trafficking resources, and expanding frontline detection in the hospitality industry.

Reforming Prostitution Penalties

The demand for commercial sex drives exploitation. Consistently ranking among the top venues for reported human trafficking cases, the market for commercial sex outpaces supply, motivating pimps and traffickers to increasingly exploit vulnerable people in prostitution. Indeed, nearly 90 percent of prostituted people are controlled by pimps and want to leave prostitution.[2]

Senate Bill 45:

• Increases trafficker, facilitator, and buyer accountability and lessens victim penalties by modernizing the human trafficking criminal code.

• Specifically, it grades patronizing and promoting prostitution more severely for each consecutive offense while limiting penalties on individuals convicted of prostitution to a third degree misdemeanor.[1]

• Transferring penalties to traffickers and buyers can crucially intercept the flow of sex trafficking demand and profit. Counties adopting this research-based approach—known as the Survivor Model—have reduced prostitution and increased safety.[2]

• Supports victims with dedicated funding to sustain anti-human trafficking efforts and organizations through buyer fines and appropriations.

  • Fines collected from individuals charged with patronizing prostitution will be deposited into the Safe Harbor for Sexually Exploited Children Fund and the Prevention of Human Trafficking Account to fund anti-human trafficking grants.

By strengthening anti-human trafficking coordination with consistent funding and focusing penalties on those profiting from or driving demand, Pennsylvania is building a sustainable infrastructure for prosecuting perpetrators and supporting victims toward a better life.

Human Trafficking Awareness Training

In 2024, hotels were the third leading known venue of sex trafficking both nationally and in Pennsylvania. Traffickers frequently use lodging establishments to recruit or house victims, sell their services, and exploit their labor as staff.

An estimated 75 percent of victims will intersect with hotels. Yet, the vast majority report never receiving help from staff. Luckily, the industry has begun course correcting—with promising results. With the right training, resources, and support, hospitality staff and operators can recognize warning signs and are more likely to report cases. Over 80 percent of managers reported increased awareness of child trafficking among their trained hotel associates.

House Bill 1286:

• Requires public lodging establishments to conduct standardized human trafficking trainings on human trafficking definitions, identifying risks and signs, and reporting protocols.

  • By including both hotels/motels, and short-term rental properties and related third-party listing platforms, the act equips law enforcement and regulatory bodies amidst industry changes.

• Strengthens hospitality accountability and coordination with law enforcement by requiring records maintenance and fines and license suspension for non-compliance.

  • At least 50 percent of collected fines will fund anti-human trafficking grants.

Moving Forward

By passing this reform, policymakers, in collaboration with hospitality industry leaders and numerous survivor-focused groups, are transforming Pennsylvania from a place of known exploitation into an onramp for victim assistance.

Pennsylvania communities and policymakers can build upon this momentum.

Reference our advocacy page and subscribe to our newsletter to track and learn about reforms to further strengthen Pennsylvania’s prevention, protection, and prosecution Survivor Model framework.

___

[1] “Patronizing prostitution” includes those who hire and/or engage another person in a house of prostitution for sexual activity. “Promoting prostitution” and “promoting prostitution of a minor” includes those who knowingly organize, manage, encourage, and facilitate prostitution.

[2] “What is the Survivor Model?” World Without Exploitation, https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5b7ed53e01bf97ebbfdf6787/6941ec8750b433553f86172b_What%20is%20the%20Survivor%20Model.pdf.