An Act Regarding Prostitution
Sec. 1. 17-A MRSA §853-A, sub-§1, ¶B, as amended by PL 2007, c. 476, §29, is further amended to read:
Sec. 2. 17-A MRSA 1902, sub-§6 is enacted to read:
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This bill is being reported out by the Joint Standing Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety pursuant to Joint Order 2019, H.P. 1278. Under the current law, the crime of engaging in prostitution is a Class E crime, punishable by a fine only; the penalty for a subsequent conviction that occurs within 2 years of a prior conviction for engaging in prostitution is a Class D crime. This bill changes the penalty for a subsequent conviction of engaging in prostitution that occurs within 2 years of the first conviction to a Class E crime and specifies that a deferred disposition for subsequent convictions is the preferred disposition.