North Carolina lawmakers and advocates against domestic violence are proposing an added fee for strip clubs, sometimes called a “pole tax,” with proceeds towards the state’s Sexual Assault and Rape Crisis Center Fund.
House Bill 1121, or “Added Fee for Sexually Oriented Businesses,” is a bipartisan-backed measure modeled after a Texas law first passed in 2007, according to Rep. Dennis Riddell (R-Alamance).
“What that bill will do is levy a fee upon adult venue businesses where alcohol is served, to be charged per entry,” Riddell said at a press conference on Tuesday. “That money would be used only for domestic violence systems and groups around the state.”
Under the bill, “sexually oriented businesses” — such as a nightclub or bar that offers live nude entertainment while serving alcoholic beverages — would charge a $10 entry or “cover” fee.
The profits would go towards the Sexual Assault and Rape Crisis Center Fund, run by the North Carolina Council for Women. The fund is currently running out of money. H1121 would provide a relatively steady stream of state revenue for services.
NC victim service providers urge lawmakers for increased funding
There’s a backlog for survivors to receive one-on-one personal counseling and therapy in the state’s rape crisis centers, said Rep. Monika Johnson-Hostler (D-Wake). Rape crisis centers and domestic violence shelters have lost federal funding in recent years, she said, and it hasn’t been replaced at the state level.
At the same time, there’s an increased demand for services, rising workforce burnout and turnover among advocates, and worsening housing instability, which is making it harder for survivors to leave unsafe situations, according to Johnson-Hostler.
“Every day, programs across our state answer hotline calls, provide emergency shelter, offer legal advocacy and help survivors rebuild their lives,” said Carianne Fisher, executive director of the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence. “But too often, these programs are forced to do this life-saving work with limited and uncertain resources.”
Many of those programs are operating beyond capacity, according to Fisher. That leaves delays in survivors receiving services due to the lack of funding and resources.
“Let’s be honest about what that means when a survivor is asked to wait or is turned away,” Fisher said. “The risk doesn’t pause, the danger doesn’t stop, and the consequences can be fatal.”
Texas originally charged $5 for its “pole tax” when the law passed in 2007, which rose to $10 in 2023. Proceeds go towards sexual assault survivor assistance programs and health services for low-income people. Illinois approved a similar “skin tax” in 2013, or a $3 surcharge for each patron, funding rape crisis centers.
Johnson-Hostler said her bill proposes a higher fee, leaving room to negotiate.
“Truthfully, when we looked at what other states did, and of course, I watched Texas and Illinois go through this process, they also started at higher numbers,” she said. “Where they ended up at was the three to five dollars in their actual legislation.”
The bill is assigned to the House Judiciary 1 Committee.
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