Senate Bill 2777

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTIONS 97-29-49, 97-29-51 AND 97-29-53, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT PROSTITUTION AND SOLICITATION OF PROSTITUTION, INCLUDING SOLICITATION BY SUPPLYING DRUGS, SHALL BE A FELONY; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 97-29-49, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

97-29-49. It shall be unlawful to engage in prostitution or to aid or abet prostitution or to procure or solicit by any means for the purposes of prostitution, or to reside in, enter, or remain in any place, structure, or building, or to enter or remain in any vehicle or conveyance for the purpose of lewdness, assignation, or prostitution, or to keep or set up a house of ill-fame, brothel or bawdy house, or to receive any person for purposes of lewdness, assignation, or prostitution into any vehicle, conveyance, place, structure or building, or to permit any person to remain for the purpose of lewdness, assignation, or prostitution in any vehicle, conveyance, place, structure, or building, or to direct, take, or transport, or to offer or agree to take or transport, or aid or assist in transporting, any person to any vehicle, conveyance, place, structure, or building, or to any other person with knowledge or reasonable cause to know that the purpose of such directing, taking or transporting is prostitution, lewdness or assignation, or to lease or rent or contract to lease or rent any vehicle, conveyance, place, structure, or building, or part thereof, knowing or with good reason to know that it is intended to be used for any of the purposes herein prohibited, or to aid, abet, or participate in the doing of any of the acts herein prohibited.

SOURCES: Codes, 1942, §2333; Laws, 1942, ch. 284.

SECTION 2. Section 97-29-51, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

97-29-51. It shall further be unlawful to procure a female inmate for a house of prostitution, or to cause, induce, persuade, or encourage by promise, threat, violence, offer of controlled substances, or by scheme or device, a female to become a prostitute or to remain an inmate of a house of prostitution, or to induce, persuade, or encourage a female to come into or leave this state for the purpose of prostitution, or to become an inmate in a house of prostitution, or to receive or give, or agree to receive or give any money or thing of value for procuring, or attempting to procure any female to become a prostitute or an inmate in a house of prostitution, or to knowingly accept, receive, levy or appropriate any money or other thing of value without consideration from a prostitute or from the proceeds of any woman engaged in prostitution.

SECTION 3. Section 97-29-53, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

97-29-53. Any person, partnership, association or corporation violating any provision of Section 97-29-49 or 97-29-51 shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a felony and punished by a fine not exceeding Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00) or by confinement in the custody of the Department of Corrections for not more than two (2) years, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

SECTION 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2006.