New York Assembly Bill A11300

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 5/11/26
• Refer: 5/11/26
• Report Pass: 5/28/26
• Refer: 5/28/26

Caption

Enacts the sex trafficking accountability act

Summary

This bill, titled the “sex trafficking accountability act,” amends several provisions of New York’s penal law dealing with prostitution, patronizing prostitution, promoting prostitution, and sex trafficking of a child. Its central change is to close what the bill describes as the “patron exclusion” in the definition of advancing prostitution, so that a patron can be treated as someone who advances prostitution under certain circumstances. The bill also broadens the definition of patronizing a person for prostitution to cover not only payment of a fee, but also payment or solicitation involving “anything of value.” The measure further revises the statutory definition of prostitution to include engaging or agreeing to engage in sexual conduct in return for a fee or anything of value. It also updates the child sex trafficking statute to reflect the broader prostitution definitions and to clarify that a defendant’s knowledge of the child’s age is not required and is not a defense. The bill preserves the existing classification of sex trafficking of a child as a class B felony and makes the act effective immediately upon enactment.

Impact

The bill would amend Penal Law sections 230.02, 230.15, and 230.34-a, expanding the conduct that can support prostitution-related charges and narrowing a loophole that excluded patrons from the definition of advancing prostitution. By adding “anything of value” to the patronizing and prostitution definitions, it could reach non-cash exchanges and other forms of compensation, potentially broadening prosecutorial authority in prostitution and sex trafficking cases. It would also affect how courts and law enforcement interpret and charge conduct involving minors in sex trafficking cases, while leaving the felony classification for child sex trafficking unchanged.

Sentiment

The available record shows the bill was introduced and referred to the Assembly Committee on Codes, then amended and recommitted, but there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided. Based on the bill’s title and structure, the measure appears to be framed as a public-safety and anti-trafficking reform intended to strengthen accountability for buyers and facilitators of prostitution. Because no discussion or vote data are available, there is no documented public sentiment in the record beyond the bill’s apparent legislative purpose.

Contention

The main point of contention likely concerns the expansion of criminal liability to patrons and the broader inclusion of “anything of value,” which could sweep in non-monetary exchanges and potentially expand enforcement discretion. Supporters would likely view these changes as necessary to close loopholes and better target sex trafficking networks, while critics may argue the bill risks overcriminalization or blurs distinctions between buyers, facilitators, and persons in prostitution. The child sex trafficking provisions are less likely to be controversial, but the revised definitions for patronizing and advancing prostitution are the most significant and potentially disputed changes.