Sacramento Standard

Senator Shannon Grove’s (R-Bakersfield) Senate Bill 1414 (SB 1414) has successfully passed out of the Assembly Public Safety Committee. The bill, which aims to increase penalties for those who purchase children for sex, addresses the issue of sex trafficking. For further remarks from Senator Grove following the committee vote on SB 1414, television and radio outlets can access her comments.

SB 1414 is a bipartisan measure, jointly authored by Senator Anna Caballero (D-Merced) and Senator Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park). It is co-sponsored by Love Never Fails and 3Strands Global Foundation.

Initially, SB 1414 sought to classify the act of soliciting or engaging in commercial sex with a minor as a felony. However, amendments imposed earlier this year by Democrats in the Senate Public Safety Committee altered the language, excluding protections for 16- and 17-year-old minors.

Additional amendments introduced today by the Assembly Public Safety Committee stipulate that for buyers to face stronger penalties involving 16- and 17-year-olds, it must be proven that these minors are victims of human trafficking. District attorneys have expressed concerns that this requirement will complicate prosecution efforts.

Senator Grove criticized these changes: “Don’t be fooled by the Public Safety Chairs’ announcement that they restored a felony for purchasing children in SB 1414. Today the Assembly Public Safety Committee amended SB 1414, making it even harder to protect 16 and 17 year old children. In order for 16 and 17 year olds to have additional protections, they must first prove to be victims of human trafficking. Now, two crimes must be proven, the buying AND the selling of a child before a buyer can receive a stronger penalty. ALL children deserve to be protected equally. When will the Public Safety Committees prioritize the protection of all children over perpetrators?”

The next hearing for SB 1414 will take place before the Assembly Appropriations Committee in August.