By admin 
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Arizona enacted a new law that makes soliciting prostitution a felony offense and imposes jail time.
Read more Coati tests positive for rabies at Boyce Thompson Arboretum in Superior
The law requires that a person convicted of soliciting prostitution pay a $200 fine, funds that will go toward services for sex trafficking survivors.
Offenders will have to serve 15 days in jail for a first violation of soliciting prostitution. A person convicted of four or more violations will need to serve 180 days in jail and is guilty of a Class 4 felony.
Courts are now also required to seal all records for victims of sex trafficking whose convictions have been overturned.
GOP state Rep. Selina Bliss, the bill’s sponsor, called it “a victory for families, neighborhoods, and victims who deserve a path out.”
“The people paying for sex are funding an industry that traffickers exploit, and communities across Arizona are left to deal with the crime, abuse, and damage that follow,” she said in a statement.
“This law holds offenders accountable, puts money directly toward helping victims recover, and puts every person who pays for sex in Arizona on notice: you can face jail time, a felony record, and the consequences that come with it,” she added.
Read more New fire near Flagstaff burns 100 acres, threatens power lines and pipelines
The bill passed the GOP-led state House and Senate earlier this year with bipartisan support.
Gov. Katie Hobbs signed the bill into law on Friday.
Arizona ranks high among states that have reported human trafficking cases, according to statistics from the Human Trafficking Hotline.
Maricopa County has seen a significant increase in sex trafficking case submittals from law enforcement in recent years, according to the county attorney’s office.
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Read more GED program at Pima County jail may end after three decades