Support the S.M.A.R.T. Act
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We need your help in calling for support of the SMART Act during the current session of the Texas State Legislature.
What is the SMART Act?
The SMART Act (Standardizing Minimum Age Requirements in Texas) aims to raise the minimum age of employment in sexually oriented businesses (SOBs) from 18 to 21 and increase the criminal penalty for establishments that do not comply.
Strip clubs are often an entry point into “the life” for victims of trafficking and SOBs are often even complicit in sex trafficking. By raising the minimum age and creating harsher penalties for those who break the law, we can reduce the commercial sexual exploitation of minors in our state.
Watch KVUE’s coverage of advocates' efforts to support The SMART Act.
The SMART Act has seen early success during the current legislative session. So far, all versions of the bill that have been heard have been passed unanimously. This is much improved from the 2017 and 2019 legislative sessions, when this bill was first filed.
Status of bills that include The SMART Act language:
HB 1655 – passed out of the House Committee on Licensing & Administrative Procedures (LAP) unanimously and is waiting in Calendars Committee to be scheduled for a floor debate/vote. This is the only version that calls for "everyone on premises" to be 21, including customers.
HB 3520 – passed unanimously out of LAP and waiting in Calendars Committee.
SB 766 – passed unanimously out of the Senate Committee on Jurisprudence and was referred to the local and uncontested calendar. Should receive a vote on the Senate floor this week.
SB 315 – same status as SB 766.
SB 1036 – waiting to be heard in the Senate Committee on Jurisprudence. This is the Senate anti-trafficking omnibus bill, which will add The SMART Act language.
How to Help Now
Contact Speaker Phelan’s office and express support for HB 1655 and HB 3520 to make it to the floor for a vote. Emphasize how important the SMART Act is for protecting young women from sexual assault.
Phone: (512) 463-1000
Email: dade.phelan@house.texas.gov
“We are here to fight the scourge of human trafficking and this is one more tool in the toolkit to protect our vulnerable youth.”
How to Help Going Forward
To follow along for more updates on the SMART Act, request to join the Texas SMART Act Army Facebook page.
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