What SHB 2526 Does:

🔹 Targets Demand, Not Survivors
SHB 2526 reflects the reality that commercial sexual exploitation is driven by buyers. The bill advances a framework that prioritizes accountability for demand while reducing harm to people who are exploited.

🔹 Strengthens Survivor Protections
The bill reduces stigma by changing statutory language and requires referrals to services instead of arrest for the first and second violations for individuals selling sex. These safeguards help prevent further criminalization of people who are often victims of coercion, trafficking, or survival-based exploitation.

🔹 Directs Fees to Services That Work
At least 98% of fees collected under prostitution-related provisions are reinvested into community-based, survivor-centered programs — including housing support, trauma-informed care, and pathways to stability. This ensures resources are used to promote healing and prevention, not to perpetuate harm.

For too long, people harmed by exploitation have borne the brunt of enforcement-based responses, while buyers face limited accountability. SHB 2526 moves Washington toward a smarter, more humane approach — one that reduces exploitation by addressing demand and investing in services that help survivors rebuild their lives.