DeSantis signs anti-human trafficking law, raises stripper age to 21

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis signed anti-human trafficking legislation on Monday that amends awareness and reporting procedures, as well as regulates adult entertainment businesses.

The bill prohibits the owner of an adult entertainment establishment from employing anyone under the age of 21. The owner would receive a first degree misdemeanor if they were found illegally employing anyone that age for any form of labor.

Additionally, the bill issues a second degree felony to the owner if they employ anyone under 21 to work while nude at the establishment.

The legislation modifies the requirements for human trafficking reporting procedures by requiring the Florida Human Trafficking Hotline number to be utilized, rather than the National Human Trafficking Hotline number.

It also increases the lifetime of the Statewide Council on Human Trafficking and requires various public facilities in Florida which may encounter human trafficking activity to display signs of awareness on the issue and the resources people can take advantage of when witnessing the crime.

Rep. Toby Overdorf, R-Palm City, sponsored the House bill and Sen. Bryan Avila, filed the Senate version. Rep. Carolina Amesty, R-Windermere, and Sen. Clay Yarborough, R-Jacksonville, championed the adult entertainment aspects of the legislation.

DeSantis expressed his strong support to combat human trafficking during the bill signing.

“This is a big, big problem in the United States and it’s a problem that we’ve working to tackle in Florida and are continuing today,” DeSantis said.

The governor reflected on the state’s history of combatting the issue as proof of it’s record on helping protect Floridians.

“What is our stand on sexual exploitation of minors? We’ve authorized the death penalty for pedophiles and that’s something that is absolutely appropriate,” he said.

He emphasized the funding, resources, programs and additional work done to combat human trafficking during the recent legislative session and in the years past. The efforts included $1.5 million allocated in 2023 to the Citrus CHANGE program which helps victims if the crime recover and seek the care, therapy and treatment needed.

Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez also spoke in favor of the legislation, thanking the governor for his work in combatting human trafficking.

“The governor has done great work over the course of our time in office, partnering with the legislature we’ve seen so many pieces of legislation that really have become a national model,” she said.

“When you talk to people across the country, they look to Florida, they look to our legislative leaders, they look to our governor, our attorney general as to what we’re doing here and how they can replicate it,” she added.

Attorney General Ashley Moody echoed Nunez’s thanks to the governor and the legislature, emphasizing the importance of protecting children.

“I’m proud to say our attorneys have a near perfect conviction rate, dozens of defendants, multi-jurisdictional cases and human trafficking cases, victims rescued,” she reported.

She pointed out the significance of Florida being one of the only states in the nation to have its own hotline dedicated to human trafficking, as outlined in the bill.

“The National Human Trafficking Hotline is run by an organization that has been taken over by a Columbia, Stanford educated, self described social justice warrior who believes it is no longer necessary for the national human trafficking hotline to report cases directly to law enforcement in Florida,” she said.

The bill will go into effect on July 1.