No G-strings for ‘young things’? Under 21-stripper ban moving forward in Legislature

Rep. Carolina Amesty’s bill that is intended to combat human trafficking by banning people under the age of 21 from working in the adult entertainment industry now matches the Senate version of the bill.

Before advancing the bill by a 17-2 vote, the House Judiciary Committee approved an amendment to HB 1379 that would impose felony penalties on club and establishment owners who allowed people under 21 to perform nude, but misdemeanor penalties on those working in the places with clothes on.

The committee bill analysis advances a preemptive legal defense of the bill, noting that “the state has a compelling interest in safeguarding the community and children from trafficking and sexual exploitation.”

Amesty noted that Florida is among the top three states for the human trafficking “epidemic,” with the average age of victims being 19.