BREAKING: Florida House Committee Approves First Bill of 2013: Cracking Down on 'Massage' Brothels

Submitted by Kevin Derby on January 16, 2013 - 11:02am

The FloridaHouse Criminal Justice Subcommittee approved by a unanimous vote Wednesday morning a bill that revises the 2011 "Massage Practice Act," in an effort to combat human trafficking.

Intended to curtail the operation of brothels which disguise themselves as "massage establishments," the bill -- which was sponsored by the subcommittee and pushed forward by freshman Rep. Dave Kerner, D-Lake Worth -- prohibits these establishments (with some exceptions) from operating between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., and prohibits them from being used as a person's "principal domicile."

The bill, tentatively titledPCB CRJS 13-01, is the first piece of legislation to be voted on by a House committee.

A companion bill has yet to be filed in the Senate, but Rep. Kerner told Sunshine State News he was optimistic that one would be forthcoming.

UPDATE: Sen. Jeff Clemens, D-Lake Worth will be filing companion legislation, his office has confirmed to Sunshine State News.

More to come ...

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