AB-848 • 2026

Sexual battery.

Crime Education Healthcare Labor

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Soria
Last action: 2025-10-11
Official status: Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 625, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on the specifics of sentencing changes or hospital financial impacts.

Sexual Battery Law Changes

AB-848 changes the law to make it harder for hospital employees who commit sexual battery while on duty or when the victim is seeking medical care to avoid harsher punishment.

What This Bill Does

Adds a rule that if someone employed at a hospital commits sexual battery and the victim was in their care or seeking medical help, this will be considered an aggravating factor during sentencing.

Who It Names or Affects

People who work in hospitals and commit sexual battery while on duty or when the victim is seeking medical care.
Victims of sexual battery who are patients or under care at a hospital.

Terms To Know

Felony: A serious crime that can lead to jail time for more than one year.
Aggravation in sentencing: Factors that make a crime seem worse, which can result in harsher punishment.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if the victim is at the hospital for reasons other than seeking medical care.
It's unclear how often this law will be enforced or applied.

Bill History

2025-10-11 California Legislative Information
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 625, Statutes of 2025.
2025-10-11 California Legislative Information
Approved by the Governor.
2025-09-15 California Legislative Information
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4:30 p.m.
2025-09-08 California Legislative Information
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 3032.).
2025-09-04 California Legislative Information
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
2025-09-04 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 2522.).
2025-09-02 California Legislative Information
Ordered to special consent calendar.
2025-08-29 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-08-29 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 29).
2025-07-07 California Legislative Information
In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.
2025-06-25 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-06-24 California Legislative Information
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (June 24).
2025-06-11 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on PUB. S.
2025-06-03 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
2025-06-02 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 77. Noes 0. Page 1858.)
2025-05-27 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 23).
2025-05-07 California Legislative Information
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
2025-04-29 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-04-28 California Legislative Information
Read second time and amended.
2025-04-24 California Legislative Information
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (April 22).
2025-04-01 California Legislative Information
In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
2025-03-19 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
2025-03-18 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. Read second time and amended.
2025-03-03 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on PUB. S.
2025-02-20 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee March 22.
2025-02-19 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 848, Soria.
Sexual battery.
Existing law prohibits the touching of any intimate part of another person for the purpose of sexual arousal, gratification, or abuse, under specified circumstances, including if the victim is unconscious of the nature of the act because the perpetrator fraudulently represented that the touching served a professional purpose. A violation of these provisions is punishable as a misdemeanor or as a felony by imprisonment in the state prison for 2, 3, or 4 years, and by a fine not exceeding $10,000. Existing law requires, in the case of a felony conviction for a violation of these provisions, the fact that the defendant was an employer and the victim was an employee of the defendant to be a factor in aggravation in sentencing.
This bill would require, in the case of a felony conviction for a violation of these provisions, the fact that the
defendant was employed at a hospital where the offense occurred and the victim was in the defendant’s care or seeking medical care at the hospital to be a factor in aggravation in sentencing. By increasing the punishment for a crime, 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Download Bill PDF