BEIJING -- Lawmakers held panel discussions on Tuesday morning to deliberate a draft resolution to abolish the "custody and education" system, a penalty reserved for law violations related to prostitution.

The draft resolution was submitted to the ongoing bimonthly session of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee.

The members of the NPC Standing Committee and the discussion attendees agreed that as China's law-based governance keeps advancing, the function of the "custody and education" system has been replaced by relevant legal system.

Abolishing the "custody and education" system in a timely manner is in line with the development of the times and the social reality, said the legislature, noting that the abolition is good for human rights protection. It is also an inevitable requirement to promote law-based governance and another important step in developing the rule of law.

Lawmakers suggested that related departments and offices should continue to investigate and handle violations related to prostitution and work on prevention and control of sexually transmitted diseases.