Criminal Offenses

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide information on how it affects existing cases or prosecutions.

Changes to Criminal Offenses for Patronizing Prostitution

This bill changes Tennessee's laws about patronizing prostitution by altering penalties and specifying who can be considered a victim in these crimes.

What This Bill Does

• Removes the current law that makes it an offense when someone patronizes prostitution from a minor or an adult posing as a minor.
• Makes it a Class A misdemeanor to patronize prostitution from a law enforcement officer.
• Makes it a Class B felony to patronize prostitution from a person with an intellectual disability or a law enforcement officer pretending to be a minor.
• Makes it a Class A felony to patronize prostitution from someone under 18 years old.

Who It Names or Affects

• People who commit the crime of patronizing prostitution
• Law enforcement officers and people with intellectual disabilities

Terms To Know

Class A misdemeanor

A type of criminal offense that is less serious than a felony but more serious than other types of misdemeanors.

Class B felony

A type of criminal offense that is more serious than a Class C felony and can result in longer prison sentences and higher fines.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how it will affect existing cases or prosecutions.
• It's unclear if the changes will lead to increased penalties for crimes committed near schools.

Official Summary Text

Present law provides that it is an offense w
hen a person patronizes prostitution where the subject of the offense is a law enforcement officer or a
n adult
law enforcement officer posing as a minor.
This bill removes this provision and provides, instead, that it is an offense when
a person patronizes prostitution where the subject of the offense is
any of the following
:



A law enforcement officer
.


A law enforcement officer
18
or older posing as a minor
.


A person who has an intellectual disability
.


A person who is less than
18
.

PENALTY

Present law provides that, generally, p
atronizing prostitution is a Class A misdemeanor
,
punishable by
up to
11 months, 29 days in prison
,
a fine up to $2,500, or both.
However, p
atronizing prostitution from a person who is younger than
18
, has an intellectual disability, or is a law enforcement officer posing as a minor is punishable as trafficking for commercial sex
, which is generally a
Class B felony
,
punishable by eight to 30 years in prison and a fine up to $25,000
. However, a
violation of

traffick
ing for commercial sex is a Class A felony if the victim of the offense is a child
12 to 18
.
This bill removes these provisions.

This bill provides, instead, the following penalties:



Patronizing prostitution
where the subject of the offense is
a
law enforcement officer

is a Class A misdemeanor
,
punishable by
up to
11 months, 29 days in prison
,
a fine up to $2,500, or both.



Patronizing prostitution
where the subject of the offense is
either a
law enforcement officer posing as a minor
or a
person who has an intellectual disability

is a Class B felony
,
punishable by eight to 30 years in prison and a fine up to $25,000
.



Patronizing prostitution
where the subject of the offense
is less than
18
is a Class A felony
,
punishable by 15 to 60 years in prison and a fine up to $50,000.

Current Bill Text

SENATE BILL 2178
By Yager

HOUSE BILL 1787
By Littleton
HB1787
010718
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39,
Chapter 13, relative to criminal offenses.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-13-514, is amended by deleting
subdivision (a)(2) and substituting:
(2) When a person patronizes prostitution where the subject of the offense is:
(A) A law enforcement officer;
(B) A law enforcement officer eighteen (18) years of age or older posing
as a minor;
(C) A person who has an intellectual disability; or
(D) A person who is less than eighteen (18) years of age.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-13-514, is amended by deleting
subsection (b) and substituting:
(b)
(1) Patronizing prostitution under subsection (a)(1) or subdivision
(a)(2)(A) is a Class A misdemeanor.
(2) Patronizing prostitution under subdivision (a)(2)(B) or (a)(2)(C) is a
Class B felony.
(3) Patronizing prostitution under subdivision (a)(2)(D) is a Class A
felony.
(4) Patronizing prostitution within one and one-half (1.5) miles of a school
shall, in addition to any other authorized punishment, be punished by no less

- 2 - 010718

than seven (7) days of incarceration and by a fine of not less than one thousand
dollars ($1,000).
(5) This section does not prohibit prosecution under any other applicable
law.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.