HARRISBURG – Bipartisan, bicameral legislation expanding the enforcement and penalties for sex trafficking and prostitution has been signed into law. Act 41 of 2026 relocates most prostitution offenses to the human trafficking section of the state Crimes Code, enhances the penalties for several of those offenses, and places these offenses under the enforcement jurisdiction of PA’s Attorney General. The new law also consolidates crimes related to human trafficking within the Crimes Code, giving the attorney general concurrent jurisdiction so these crimes can be prosecuted more effectively. The law targets the predators, not the vulnerable. Under Act 41, fines paid by those convicted of patronizing prostitutes will be split between the state’s Safe Harbor for Sexually Exploited Children Fund and the Prevention of Human Trafficking Account established in Pennsylvania’s General Fund. If you suspect someone is being trafficked, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
