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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Florida bill would ban anyone under the age of 21 from working in strip clubs or other adult entertainment establishments.
Senate Bill 1690 amends existing statutes to include the ban, which makes it a misdemeanor for any owner, manager, employee, or contractor to knowingly employ, or contract someone to employ, anyone under the age of 21.
An adult entertainment establishment is defined as an adult bookstore, adult theater, a special cabaret, or an unlicensed massage establishment.
The bill was introduced by Sen. Clay Yarborough (R-Jacksonville).
The bill previously advanced through the Criminal Justice Committee by a 6-2 vote. It was placed on Tuesday’s agenda for the Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice.
The bill aims to combat human trafficking because “victims of sex trafficking are frequently recruited to work as performers or employees in adult entertainment establishments.”
If passed, the act would go into effect on July 1.
A similar bill has also been introduced in the Florida House of Representatives.