Plain English Breakdown
The effective date is not provided in the official metadata or summary text.
AB-379: Changes to Laws on Prostitution and Human Trafficking
This law increases penalties for buying sex from minors who are more than three years younger, creates a new crime for loitering with intent to buy sex, raises fines for businesses that fail to post anti-trafficking notices or ignore trafficking in hotels, and establishes funds to help victims.
What This Bill Does
- Increases punishment for soliciting prostitution if the person is more than three years younger than the buyer at the time of the offense.
- Requires defendants who get probation for these crimes to finish an education program on human trafficking and child exploitation.
- Makes it a misdemeanor crime to loiter in public places with the intent to buy commercial sex.
- Adds a $1,000 fine for violating the new loitering law or committing prostitution by paying money or value.
- Raises civil penalties for businesses that do not post required notices about slavery and human trafficking from $500/$1,000 to $1,000/$2,000 per offense.
- Increases fines against hotels where staff knew of or ignored sex trafficking activity inside the building.
- Establishes a Survivor Support Fund using new fines to pay grants for organizations helping victims.
Who It Names or Affects
- People who solicit, agree to engage in, or commit acts of prostitution involving minors more than three years younger.
- Businesses such as airports, bus stations, and truck stops that must post anti-trafficking notices.
- Hotels where employees know about sex trafficking but fail to report it or benefit from it.
- District attorney offices selected to receive funding for prosecuting human trafficking cases using vertical prosecution.
Terms To Know
- Misdemeanor
- A crime that is less serious than a felony, often punishable by jail time of up to one year or fines.
- Felony
- A more serious crime that can result in longer prison sentences and higher fines.
- Civil Penalty
- A fine paid to the government for breaking a rule or law, rather than going to jail.
Limits and Unknowns
- Funding for the grant program depends on whether the Legislature approves money.
- The Office of Emergency Services can only fund up to 11 district attorney offices if funds are available.
- The bill states that no state reimbursement is required for local costs mandated by this law.