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AB-1918 • 2026

Human trafficking: body art practitioners.

Human trafficking: body art practitioners.

Crime Education Labor
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Dixon
Last action
2026-04-23
Official status
Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The term 'civil liability' was removed as it is not directly supported in the official source material.

Human Trafficking Awareness Training for Body Art Practitioners

This legislation requires body art facilities and practitioners to post notices about human trafficking, provide training on recognizing and responding to signs of human trafficking, and limits the disclosure of personal information about suspected victims.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires body art facilities to display a notice with information about human trafficking hotlines and services.
  • Requiring body art facility employees and registered practitioners to complete human trafficking awareness training provided by approved nonprofit organizations.
  • Establishes a training program for body art practitioners, developed by the Department of Justice in consultation with other agencies, focusing on recognizing signs of human trafficking and referring victims to resources.
  • Makes it mandatory for new applicants to provide proof of completing this training as part of their registration process.
  • Existing registered practitioners must complete the training by 2030 or face inactive registration status until completion.
  • Prohibits body art practitioners from disclosing personal information about suspected human trafficking victims, except under specific circumstances.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Body art facilities and their employees
  • Registered body art practitioners

Terms To Know

Trauma-informed curriculum
A training program designed to understand the effects of trauma on individuals, focusing on safety, trustworthiness, choice, collaboration, and empowerment.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Local enforcement agencies will have increased duties due to this legislation.
  • If the bill is determined to impose state-mandated local program costs, reimbursement procedures are outlined by the California Constitution.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-23 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.

  2. 2026-04-22 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (April 22).

  3. 2026-04-09 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on APPR. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96.

  4. 2026-04-08 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (April 7). Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.

  5. 2026-03-25 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

  6. 2026-03-24 California Legislative Information

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on JUD. Read second time and amended.

  7. 2026-03-19 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.

  8. 2026-03-09 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Coms. on JUD. and PUB. S.

  9. 2026-02-13 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 15.

  10. 2026-02-12 California Legislative Information

    Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 1918, as amended, Dixon.
Human trafficking: body art practitioners.
Existing law requires certain businesses or establishments to post a notice relating to slavery and human trafficking, including hotlines and available services and support information. Existing law requires certain businesses or establishments to provide certain employees at least 20 minutes of training on human trafficking, as specified. Under existing law, the training must cover certain subjects, including how to recognize human trafficking, and may also include private nonprofit organizations that represent the interests of human trafficking victims, among other things.
This bill would additionally require body art facilities to post the above-described notice and to provide the human trafficking training to their employees and registered practitioners, as
specified. The bill would instead authorize the training to include evidence-based, trauma-informed curriculum developed by the above-described nonprofit organizations.
Existing law establishes the Department of Justice, under the direction and control of the Attorney General. Under existing law, the department is responsible for gathering, analyzing, and storing intelligence pertaining to certain crimes, among other things.
Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, creates, within the office of the Governor, the Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) under the supervision of the Director of Emergency Services. Existing law declares that Cal OES is responsible for addressing natural, technological, or human-caused disasters and emergencies, including responsibility for activities necessary to prevent, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of emergencies and disasters on people and property. Existing law establishes, within Cal OES, the Curriculum Development Advisory Committee to
provide advice on the development of specified course curricula.
This bill would require the Department of Justice, in consultation with Cal OES and the Civil Rights Department, to develop and administer a training program regarding human trafficking awareness, as provided, as a condition of registration to perform body art. The bill would require the training to be conducted by an approved nonprofit organization and to include information on how to recognize and respond to signs of human trafficking, how to refer a person to resources for victims of human trafficking, and how to report suspected instances of human trafficking, among other things. The bill would require that the training program be provided at no cost to the individual.
Existing law, the Safe Body Art Act, regulates the performance of body art, as defined, and requires the permitting of body art facilities and the registration of body art practitioners.
Existing law prohibits a person from performing body art without registering with the local enforcement agency, as defined, and prohibits a body art facility from conducting business without a valid health permit. Existing law requires an applicant, as a condition of registration, to provide evidence demonstrating that the applicant has completed a federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration Bloodborne Pathogen Training, among other things. Existing law makes performing body art without being registered and performing body art at an unpermitted location a misdemeanor and provides administrative penalties for other violations.
This bill would require an applicant for registration to perform body art to provide evidence that they have completed the human trafficking awareness training program described above. The bill would require a body art provider who is registered before January 1, 2027, and who is renewing their registration to complete the
above-described training by January 1, 2030, and would make their registration inactive if that deadline is not met until the training is completed.
This bill would prohibit a body art practitioner or the owner of a body art facility from publicly disclosing personal identifying information about a client suspected to be a victim of human trafficking, except as provided. The bill would limit the civil and criminal liability of a practitioner and owner under these provisions, in certain circumstances.
By increasing the duties of local enforcement agencies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This
bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
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