Signed by Governor Don Carcieri

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with senate amendments and pass a bill that makes 'prostitution' and 'procurement of sexual conduct for a fee' misdemeanors and establishes penalties.

Highlights:

-Imposes the following penalties on a person found guilty of 'prostitution,' which occurs when a person engages, agrees, or offers to engage in sexual conduct with another person in return for fee (Sec. 1):

-For a first offense, either imprisonment for up to 6 months, a fine between $250 and $1,000, or both the imprisonment and the fine; and -For a subsequent offense, either imprisonment for up to 1 year, a fine between $500 and $1,000, or both the imprisonment and the fine.

-Imposes the following penalties on a person found guilty of 'procurement of sexual conduct for a fee,' which occurs when a person seeks to pay any type of fee for sexual conduct (Sec.1):

-For a first offense, either imprisonment for up to 1 year, a fine between $250 and $1,000, or both the imprisonment and the fine; and -For a subsequent offense, either imprisonment for up to 1 year, a fine between $500 and $1,000, or both the imprisonment and the fine.

-Prohibits 'permitting prostitution,' which includes the following acts (Sec. 3):

-Allowing, transporting, offering, or agreeing to receive a person into any place for the purpose of committing any commercial sexual activity; -Knowingly permitting a person to remain on a premises for the purpose of committing any commercial sexual activity; and -If one is a landlord, manager, or owner of a spa, business, or any other place where commercial sexual activity is practiced or allowed, receiving earnings or proceeds derived from such commercial sexual activity while knowing that the person one is receiving such earnings or proceeds from is a prostitute.

-Allows, at the court's discretion, criminal records for a prostitution offense or a loitering for prostitution offense to be expunged one year after the completion of the violator's sentence (Sec. 3). -Rep. Handy intended to vote "nay" but was logged as voting "yea" in the Rhode Island House of Representatives' journal. Therefore we have removed him from our "How Members Voted" list.

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that makes 'prostitution' and 'procurement of sexual conduct for a fee' misdemeanors and establishes penalties.

Highlights:

-Imposes the following penalties on a person found guilty of 'prostitution,' which occurs when a person engages, agrees, or offers to engage in sexual conduct with another person in return for fee (Sec. 1):

-For a first offense, either imprisonment for up to 6 months, a fine between $250 and $1,000, or both the imprisonment and the fine; and -For a subsequent offense, either imprisonment for up to 1 year, a fine between $500 and $1,000, or both the imprisonment and the fine.

-Imposes the following penalties on a person found guilty of 'procurement of sexual conduct for a fee,' which occurs when a person seeks to pay any type of fee for sexual conduct (Sec.1):

-For a first offense, either imprisonment for up to 1 year, a fine between $250 and $1,000, or both the imprisonment and the fine; and -For a subsequent offense, either imprisonment for up to 1 year, a fine between $500 and $1,000, or both the imprisonment and the fine.

-Prohibits 'permitting prostitution,' which includes the following acts (Sec. 3):

-Allowing, transporting, offering, or agreeing to receive a person into any place for the purpose of committing any commercial sexual activity; -Knowingly permitting a person to remain on a premises for the purpose of committing any commercial sexual activity; and -If one is a landlord, manager, or owner of a spa, business, or any other place where commercial sexual activity is practiced or allowed, receiving earnings or proceeds derived from such commercial sexual activity while knowing that the person one is receiving such earnings or proceeds from is a prostitute.

-Allows, at the court's discretion, criminal records for a prostitution offense or a loitering for prostitution offense to be expunged one year after the completion of the violator's sentence (Sec. 3).

Full Bill Text