'Texas is committed to eradicating human trafficking': House passes bill to raise minimum age of sex workers

To help combat human trafficking, the Texas House of Representatives has unanimously approved a bill to raise the minimum age of workers employed at sexually oriented businesses. 

Senate Bill 315 would raise the minimum age of persons employed by or allowed on the premises of a sexually oriented business to 21 and would make it a criminal offense for businesses that violate this statute. A majority of the legislation's sponsors offer support from the Houston and Dallas regions, areas known to be human trafficking hotspots in the state of Texas. Gov. Greg Abbott voiced his support for the bill.

"Thank you Sen. @JoanHuffman & Rep. @Toddahunter for championing #SB315, a crucial bill that helps combat human trafficking related to sexually oriented businesses," Abbott wrote in a May 6 Twitter post. "Because of their efforts, SB315 just passed its third reading. Texas is committed to eradicating human trafficking."

Last month, State Rep. Jacey Jetton (R-Sugar Land) said that Texas is the second worst state in the country for sex trafficking and that approximately 79,000 young adults and minors have been trafficked in the state, Fort Bend Herald reported. 

“The Texas Legislature must find solutions to combat the human trafficking," Fort Bend Herald reported. "Data indicates raising the minimum age on sexually oriented businesses will be a beneficial step in this process. As leaders in Texas, we must also continue educating people about the realities of human trafficking.”

Jetton said that state and federal data indicates that the average age when a child is first trafficked is between nine and 13 years old.

“Many of their stories include exploitation in a sexually oriented business,” Jetton said.

Advocates have suggested that raising the minimum age for strippers to 21 would help law enforcement spot trafficking of minors, KVUE News.

They add that sexually oriented businesses are breeding grounds for human trafficking and that minors who work at these businesses are given alcohol and drugs.

The passage of SB 315 followed an investigation of an incident in which a lobbyist allegedly drugged a Texas capitol staffer. The investigation concluded that there was no evidence.