US PROStitutes Collective Connects YOU to HB 1614 Support

Dear Friends,

You may have heard the exciting news that a Bill is being put forward to decriminalize prostitution in New Hampshire. NEWS This is the first bill that we know of that is proposing decriminalization in the US!  The sponsors have said it was influenced by the groundbreaking Amnesty International policy supporting decriminalization.

HB1614 has been introduced by three women legislators, two Democrats and one Republican. It “legalizes consensual sex between consenting adults and makes solicitation of sexual contact involving a person under 18 years of age or through the use of force and intimidation a felony”.

On Thursday January 28 there will be a hearing on the Bill at the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee.

We are in touch with one of the sponsors of the Bill. Please consider writing in or calling them to make your case in support of decriminalization.

Points to make in your letter may include that decriminalization would:

·         Increase safety as sex workers could work together and more easily report violence;

·         Enhance health as sex workers could more easily access services and wouldn’t be deterred from carrying condoms for fear that they will be used as evidence of prostitution;

·        Free up police time to focus on the investigation of violent crimes such as rape and domestic violence rather than the policing of consenting sex (particularly important as the Committee is primarily made up of former and current law enforcement);

·         End criminal records which bar sex workers from getting other jobs. This is crucial for anyone who may want to leave the sex industry and is unable to.

You may also want to raise that rising poverty is increasing the numbers of women, particularly mothers, going into prostitution and that tackling poverty and providing resources would be much more effective.

New Zealand successfully decriminalized prostitution in 2003 and a government review showed positive results: no rise in prostitution; women able to report violence without fear of arrest; attacks cleared up more quickly; sex workers more able to leave prostitution as convictions are cleared from their records; drug users treated as patients not criminals.

In August, Amnesty International’s voted “to protect the human rights of sex workers, through measures that include the decriminalization of sex work”. This appears to have been an impetus for this legislation.

Please see below the list and emails of committee members to send your letters to or call.

US PROS

Timothy Robertson (d)
timothyrbrtsn2@gmail.com,
603-352-7006

Andrew OHearne (d)
Andrew.OHearne@leg.state.nh.us,
603-558-1038

John Martin (r)
john.martin@leg.state.nh.us,
603-774-3098

Laura Pantelakos (d)
lcpantelakos@comcast.net,
603-436-2148

Robert Cushing (d)
renny.cushing@leg.state.nh.us,
603-926-2737
Latha Manjipudi (d)
Latha.Mangipudi@leg.state.nh.us,
603-891-1239

Ed Corneau (r)
ed@edcomeau.org,
603-522-2275

Harold Parker (r)
hbpcd6@gmail.com,
603-491-6807

Len DiSesa (d)
Len.DiSesa@leg.state.nh.us,
603-343-4344