A Northern Kentucky senator, says she'll be reintroducing a bill to crack down on illegal activity at massage parlors.

This comes as multiple massage parlors in Louisville were raided earlier this year in connection with a human trafficking investigation.

Our Emily Prince was in Frankfort today and explains what you need to know.

That it became.

State Senator Shelley Meyer says she's heard of a massage parlor in Northern Kentucky advertising sexual favors, and she's also heard further concerns.

There was the suggestion that there could be underage young ladies performing these massages, and that these underage young ladies don't speak any English, and they may in fact be be being sex trafficked.

Because of these allegations.

Funky from Iowa says she'll be bringing back a piece of legislation aimed to deter this illegal activity.

Last year, the Republican filed Senate Bill 132, which would give local governments more authority over massage businesses.

The purpose of Senate Bill 132 is to provide stronger tools to address illegal operations in those exploiting individuals, not to punish victims who are being forced or coerced into illegal activity.

Meyer said in her experience looking into the massage parlor in Campbell County, she heard from local officials that it can be difficult to determine if massages are being given by licensed massage therapists.

Under the legislation, cities and counties would have control over inspections, occupational licenses, hours of operation, and more.

This year, three different massage parlors in Louisville were raided in connection with a human trafficking investigation.

WLK reported the parlors were suspected of acting as fronts for sexual exploitation, and the case was tied to suspected illegal activity across other states.

Today in Frankfort, a presenter said this type of activity isn't just happening in big cities.

During session, we actually had a police chief from Lawrenceburg testify that similar circumstance of there was a massage parlor or a building holding them selves out to be a massage parlor directly across from the high school that were soliciting minors for sexual activity or paying for those sexual services.

And Eastern Kentucky Republican questioned why the statutory change would be necessary.

Running a house of prostitution is a felony in Kentucky.

Trafficking minors is a felony in Kentucky, and probably federally is.

Well, I'm sure so what in this bill is not technically illegal right now, at this moment.

Right now, the statute is so preemptive on local governments being being able to go in and investigate or set standards on the front end, that a lot of times it's taking a criminal complaint of sexual assault, etc., to be able to go in and and have a criminal charge on the back end.

We just are saying we don't want it to get that bad before the local government has the right to step in and investigate.

I get it, but I mean, I think they do have the right to get to go in and investigate.

Like I said, I support the intent of this bill.

You know, we keep putting additional laws on the books, and I'm all for being tough on crime.

But a lot of times I think it's the duty of the local prosecutor's office to, you know, maybe go to the law books, figure out what's there.

And the officer to to investigate and charge these people which, which they can.

Under Senate Bill 132.

Performing massage therapy without a license would be considered a class A misdemeanor, and each massage given without a license would count as a separate offense.

In Frankfurt for Kentucky edition.

I'm Emily Prince.