Governor Newsom Signs Laws to Enact Tougher Penalties for Traffickers and Support Victims

What these new laws do

✅ HELP VICTIMS TO SAFETY: SB 963 by Senator Angelique Ashby (D-Sacramento) requires hospitals that have emergency departments to adopt and implement policies that allow emergency room patients to confidentially identify themselves to hospital staff as victims of human trafficking or domestic violence, so that they receive help and resources.

✅ INCREASE SANCTIONS FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKER: SB 1414 by Senator Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) increases penalties for the crime of solicitation of a minor under the age of 16 or a minor under the age of 18 who is a victim of human trafficking. The bill gives prosecutors more tools to charge a crime and increases the number of people convicted of this crime who must register as sex offenders.

✅ LAW ENFORCEMENT SUPPORT VICTIMS SUPPORT: AB 2020 by Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Oakland) requires law enforcement agencies and the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) to establish minimum guidelines for law enforcement personnel when interacting with human trafficking survivors.

✅ CREATE NEW TOOLS TO ADDRESS LABOR TRAFFICKING: AB 1888 by Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula (D-Fresno) establishes a new Labor Trafficking Unit (LTU) within the Department of Justice and requires coordination with various state departments and law enforcement agencies to refer labor trafficking complaints or reports for investigation, prosecution, or other remedies . The unit will also develop a tracking system to collect reports and complaints about labor trafficking.

What they said

Senator Angelique Ashby: “Providing a way for victims of human trafficking to safely report their abusers and get help is critical to our progress in this area. Often the first and only contact a victim has outside his or her human trafficking situation is contact with a medical care provider. SB 963 provides a tool for emergency room personnel to identify victims of human trafficking and connect them with lifesaving resources.”

Senator Shannon Grove: “Today is an incredible victory for California children. I am grateful to the Governor, First Partner and my co-authors for once again joining me in the fight against human trafficking. With the signing of my bill, SB 1414, we reaffirm our commitment to protecting the most vulnerable among us: our children. Last year with my SB 14 we focused on human traffickers who sold children, this year with SB 1414 we went after the buyers of trafficked children. Criminals have been way ahead of us when it comes to child sex trafficking. We must take a strong approach to stamping out this brutal crime and ensuring that no child is reduced to a commodity.”

Assembly member Mia Bonta: “Survivors of human trafficking need support, not systemic barriers, and I am proud to stand with the Governor today to advance criminal justice policies that support those our society has sidelined for too long. AB 2020 will provide communities like the ones I represent the opportunity to escape the cycles of abuse, incarceration and human trafficking. This bill grew out of the ongoing conversations I’ve had with organizations that support sex trafficking survivors and organizations that represent law enforcement to combat human trafficking while centering the needs of survivors and advancing trauma-informed justice practices.

Assembly member Dr. Joaquin Arambula: “I want to thank Governor Newsom for signing AB 1888 and Attorney General Bonta for supporting this important effort to protect all workers from horrific and inhumane treatment. I also appreciate that Assemblymember James C. Ramos was a co-author and that the California Native American Legislative Caucus made AB 1888 one of their priority bills this year. I worked on this legislation for more than two years because labor trafficking preys on workers by making them vulnerable to threats to their immigration status, threats to the safety of their families, and threats to their wages. This legislation – which includes the creation of a new Labor Trafficking Unit within the Department of Justice – is a solid step forward in the effort to stop this terrible abuse and ensure that all California workers are safe and respected.

Combating human trafficking

Since 2019, California has taken a comprehensive approach to combating human trafficking, with a total investment of $280.1 million to catch traffickers and support victims and survivors. The state has provided substantial funding to expand support programs for human trafficking survivors and Family Justice Centers – creating a one-stop facility where victims and their families can access a variety of services – and has allocated $25 million for prevention , intervention and services for child victims. of commercial sexual exploitation. California has funded Human Trafficking Task Forces at the California Department of Justice to address human trafficking across the state, resulting in numerous arrests and assistance to victims. The California Highway Patrol’s efforts to interdict task forces and operations have led to numerous arrests of human traffickers. Governor Newsom has signed several bills into law to strengthen legal protections for victims of human trafficking, including provisions to expunge convictions and consider trauma in sentencing.

Are you or do you know someone who is a victim of human trafficking? call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 to access help and services. If you are in immediate danger, call 9-1-1