Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official page posted by the Virginia General Assembly, fetched 2026-08-29. Where this bill amends existing law, language marked for deletion in the official page appears here in brackets. This is the chaptered version. The official bill page.
CHAPTER 577 An Act to amend and reenact § 18.2-361.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to victims of sex trafficking; minors; immunity to arrest or prosecution for prostitution. [H 191] Approved April 13, 2026 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia: 1. That § 18.2-361.1 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows: § 18.2-361.1. Victims of sex trafficking; affirmative defense; immunity for minors. A. For the purposes of this section: "Qualifying offense" means a charge for a violation of § 18.2-346 or 18.2-347. "Victim of sex trafficking" means any person charged with a qualifying offense in the Commonwealth who committed such offense as a direct result of being solicited, invited, recruited, encouraged, forced, intimidated, or deceived by another to engage in acts of prostitution or unlawful sexual intercourse for money or its equivalent, as described in § 18.2-346, regardless of whether any other person has been charged or convicted of an offense related to the sex trafficking of such person. B. It is an affirmative defense to prosecution of a qualifying offense if at the time of the offense leading to such charge, such person was a victim of sex trafficking and (i) was coerced to engage in the offense through the use of force or intimidation or (ii) such offense was committed at the direction of another person other than the individual with whom the person engaged in the acts of prostitution or unlawful sexual intercourse for such money or its equivalent. C. No minor shall be subject to arrest or prosecution for a qualifying offense if at the time of the offense leading to such arrest or charge, such minor was a victim of sex trafficking. Such minor shall be referred to the local department of social services for a human trafficking or other assessment pursuant to § 63.2-1506.1. A law-enforcement officer or the local department of social services may take custody of the minor pursuant to § 63.2-1517. No law-enforcement officer acting in good faith shall be found liable for false arrest if it is later determined that the minor arrested was immune from prosecution under this subsection.
Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.