NY State Senators Introduce Bill to Decriminalize Sex Work

NY State Senators Introduce Bill to Decriminalize Sex Work

NEW YORK — New York State legislators introduced a bill today that would decriminalize sex work and repeal statutes that prohibit the buying and selling of sex between adults.

Current laws against rape and assault, sexual harassment and human trafficking would be unaffected.

The 13-page bill was introduced today, following calls for legislation to address the issue earlier this year, according to reports. Advocacy group DecrimNY.org is the driving force behind the bill, sponsored by state senators Jessica Ramos and Julia Salazar.

Five other senators also introduced a companion bill into the state Assembly.

The bill modifies laws “around facilities that are used as places of prostitution,” according to one report, and would legalize the buying and selling of sex “under certain circumstances.”

Ramos and Salazar stress their bill protects LGBTQ youth, living on the street, who have been found to trade sex at higher rates than of other youths, and undocumented immigrants, who make up the largest group arrested in massage parlor raids.

“Every worker in New York and beyond has an inherent right to a safe workplace environment no matter what work they do. We are here to affirm sex work is work,” said Ramos during a news conference.

Jessica Raven is a former sex worker and an activist who works with DecrimNY. She penned an op-ed for the Daily News that addresses the core components of the proposed legislation.

“New York criminalizes adults for trading sex for resources, but falls short in addressing root causes. Instead, we subject sex workers, and the people who live and work with them, to state violence,” she said.  “Criminal records make it harder for people in the sex trades to access resources such as housing, services and other employment.”

Further, she notes, "criminalization also makes workers more vulnerable to police violence." Decriminalization protects sex workers who could vet clients and report violence because their work would no longer be underground. "We distinguish this model from legalization models like we’ve seen in Nevada and Amsterdam, where those who are most marginalized, such as people who don’t have documentation or are experiencing homelessness, are excluded by strict legal requirements that empower owners and managers over workers themselves."

Read the full text of the proposed legislation here.

Follow DecrimNY on Twitter.

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Sir Peter, Alex Palmieri & Tom Storm Topline 'Spain in the Ass 2' Finale

Falcon/NakedSword exclusive Sir Peter, Alex Palmieri, and Tom Storm star in the final scene from NakedSword’s “Spain in the Ass 2.”

Kyrgyzstan President Signs Measure Outlawing Internet Porn

President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday signed into law legislation outlawing online adult content in the country.

NC Legislature Overrides Veto of Extreme Anti-Adult Industry Bill

The North Carolina state legislature on Tuesday voted to override Gov. Josh Stein’s veto of a bill imposing regulations that industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most creators and content.

Raging Stallion Wraps Production on 'The Devil You Know'

Falcon/Nakedsword studio brand Raging Stallion has wrapped production on its latest feature, the Alter Sin and Ben Rush-helmed thriller “The Devil You Know.”

Report: VPN Downloads Soar in UK Following Age Verification Deadline

Virtual private network apps, which can be used to circumvent geo-specific age verification requirements, are topping Apple App Store downloads in the U.K. in the wake of new Online Safety Act rules, the BBC is reporting.

Strike 3 Holdings Sues Meta for Pirating Vixen Media Group Content to Train AI

Vixen Media Group owner Strike 3 Holdings filed suit in federal court this week, accusing Facebook parent company Meta of copyright infringement and alleging that Meta has extensively pirated VMG content to train its artificial intelligence models.

Proxy Paige, Wolf King Release 'I Kissed a Trans and I Liked It'

Evil Angel has released its latest title, “I Kissed a Trans and I Liked It,” co-directed by Proxy Paige and Wolf King.

Raging Stallion Drops Final Installment of 'Junk in the Trunk'

Falcon/Nakedsword studio brand Raging Stallion has released the final installment of “Junk in the Trunk.”

Friday is Final AV Compliance Deadline in UK

Friday, July 25 marks U.K. media regulator Ofcom’s deadline for user-to-user services such as tube, cam and fan sites to implement its requisite “highly effective age assurance” measures for preventing minors from viewing adult content.

Brittney Kade Headlines Latest From TransSensual

Brittney Kade stars in "Sweat Slut Licks Pretty Pits for Bear Fuck," from TransSensual.

Show More