Louisiana lawmakers want crackdown on massage parlors engaged in sex trafficking - fox8live.com

[Sabrina Wilson]

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - A Senate-passed bill targeting massage parlors that allegedly engage in human sexual trafficking advanced to the Louisiana House floor Tuesday (May 27).

Sen. Beth Mizell (R-Franklinton) authored SB 221, which got a hearing before the House Commerce Committee.

“Now, these are not a sweet little spa,” Mizell told lawmakers. “These are places where they’re self-contained, in that women - mostly immigrant, non-English-speaking women - are held in the building. They have sleep quarters in the building. Their passports are taken away from them.”

Mizell said the women engage in what she called “illicit explicit” at the massage parlors, as a form of payment for being brought to the United States.

“As part of the payment for bringing them to this country, they basically work off the debt to the person, usually the man in charge of the business,” Mizell said.

Rep. Edmond Jordan (D-Baton Rouge) referred to a 2021 report by the legislative auditor on the problem.

“And the women in these businesses are often coerced into providing commercial sex to 6-10 men a day, seven days a week,” Jordan said. “So, when we’re talking about the illicit activity, I just want everybody on this committee to be very clear on what we’re talking about.”

Mizell’s bill would allow the state Board of Massage Therapy to take swift action after receiving complaints.

“It allows for unannounced inspections, once a report is received by the Board of Massage Therapy,” Mizell said. “A report received by the board that there are illicit actions taking place in that business, the board is to respond within 10 days.”

Lawmakers from the New Orleans area supported the proposed crackdown.

“My district, unfortunately, is littered with these types of places. And I would like to see it gone, because I’m tired of seeing the girls walking up the street and waving out the door,” said Rep. Candace Newell (D-New Orleans).

Rep. Alonzo Knox (D-New Orleans) said, “In my district, this is a serious problem: Downtown New Orleans, French Quarter, Warehouse (District).”

The bill also would prohibit keeping bunk beds inside massage parlors.

“The establishments could not be used as sleeping quarters,” Mizell said.

And establishments found to be engaged in illegal activity could be put out of business.

“We amended it in the Senate, on the floor, to make it where a new license could not be issued to a location that has had reports of illicit massage,” she said.

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