News: Myrie Bill On Child Exploitation Penalties Passes Senate Codes Committee

January 28, 2026

Codes

During National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, Committee Advances Bill to Close Legal Loopholes

ALBANY— The Senate Codes Committee today advanced legislation sponsored by State Senator Zellnor Myrie (D-Brooklyn) and Assemblymember Amy Paulin (D-Westchester) to strengthen penalties for adults who solicit children under 18 for prostitution.

The "Victims Protection and Child Sex Buyer Accountability Act" would close a loophole in New York State law that treats adults who have sex with children between ages 15 and 17 differently than those who solicit sex from children older or younger than this range. Currently, these individuals can avoid a felony charge simply because of the victim's age. This legislation would change that, creating a uniform standard for child sex trafficking and bringing New York in line with other states and federal law.

"For too long, New York's penal law has left vulnerable young people unprotected from the horrors of sex trafficking," said Senator Myrie, chair of the Senate Codes Committee. "This is especially true for Black and brown young women who are often victimized twice: once by their abuser, and again by a system that fails to recognize their vulnerability. This legal inconsistency must end. I hope we someday live in a world where no young person is vulnerable to sexual exploitation; until that day comes, we must update our laws to ensure buyers and sex traffickers face full accountability for their crimes."

The bill now moves to the full Senate for consideration.