Governor Signs Bill Cracking Down on Massage Parlors That Sexually Exploit Workers

Gov. Tina Kotek signed a bill Thursday morning to crack down on illicit massage parlors.

House Bill 3819-A was spurred by WW’s reporting last fall, which used data from a watchdog nonprofit to reveal that the number of such businesses, which sexually exploit undocumented women, had tripled in five years to 114 in Portland.

The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Thuy Tran (D-Portland) and Sen. Kathleen Taylor (D-Portland), passed the Senate last week on a 28–1 vote. (State Sen. Khanh Pham (D-East Portland) was the only senator to vote in opposition. Her office did not respond to WW’s request for comment.)

It would increase the fine for operating such a business from $1,000 to $5,000 per violation; allow the Oregon Board of Massage Therapists to post signs in illegal businesses warning customers away; and increase the maximum charge for repeat offenders from a misdemeanor to a Class C felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $125,000 fine.

“HB 3819 will enable us to more effectively identify bad actors,” Tran tells WW, “while protecting the legitimate massage therapy businesses that bring value to our communities.

“But it is just one step in the ongoing efforts to combat the supply and demand that enable traffickers to operate in our state,” she adds. “It’s imperative to support the women who survive these horrific conditions and frequently don’t have networks to turn to.”

Reporting last fall by WW contributor Eliza Aronson showed the Oregon Board of Massage Therapists was largely powerless to respond to the proliferation of businesses that sexually trafficked women in Portland neighborhoods, and Portland police had done little to confront the problem.

While illicit massage businesses have increased across the state, nearly half of them operate in Portland, Aronson found, using data provided by The Network, a Virginia-based watchdog.

That nonprofit celebrated the bill’s passage.

“The Network is grateful to the Oregon Legislature for passing House Bill 3819-A and taking a stand against human trafficking in illicit massage businesses,” says Chris Muller-Tabanera, chief strategy officer for The Network. “It’s legislation like this that gives stakeholders the tools they need to eradicate these harmful establishments from our communities.”