The bill seeks to amend Chapter 11-34.1 of the General Laws, which pertains to "Commercial Sexual Activity," by reclassifying offenses such as prostitution, procurement of sexual conduct for a fee, loitering for prostitution, and soliciting from motor vehicles for indecent purposes from misdemeanors to civil violations. The penalties for these offenses are altered from potential imprisonment and fines between $250 to $1,000 to civil fines of up to $250, with subsequent offenses also incurring a $250 fine. The bill grants jurisdiction over these violations to the district court of Rhode Island and includes provisions for the expungement of criminal records related to prostitution and loitering for prostitution one year after sentence completion, without regard to first offender status. Additionally, it modifies the approach to individuals with venereal diseases, allowing for health department examinations and necessary treatment without the previous detention requirement, and decriminalizes the refusal to comply with health regulations.

The bill also mandates that law enforcement agencies file semi-annual reports on the enforcement of this chapter, including details such as the number of persons cited, fines imposed, and a summary of fines levied. The explanation section of the bill clarifies the intent to decriminalize certain commercial sexual activities, making them punishable solely by fines, and repeals the authority to detain defendants unless they test positive for a venereal disease in an infectious stage. The act is designed to take effect immediately upon passage.