A California bill that would increase the penalties for people who buy sex with a child continues to advance in the state legislature. However, recent changes to the bill have received criticism.
Senate Bill 1414, a bipartisan measure authored by Sens. Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield), Anna Caballero (D-Merced), and Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park), would make it a felony for someone to solicit or pay for sex with a minor.
A recent amendment to the bill now requires that those accused of soliciting sex with minors, specifically aged 16 or 17, can only be charged with a felony if the victim was also a victim of sex trafficking.
The bill’s original version didn’t require an age caveat, and one of its authors has criticized the new addition.
“The Assembly Public Safety Committee amended SB 1414, making it even harder to protect 16 and 17-year-old children. For 16 and 17-year-olds to have additional protections, they must first prove to be victims of human trafficking,” Sen. Grove said in a statement.
“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?”
In a press release, Grove stated that district attorneys said it would make prosecuting even harder.
As SB 1414 continues to move through the legislature, the chances of it heading to Gov. Gavin Newsom for his signature increases, but the question remains: what form of the bill will be passed into law?
Grove has told multiple media outlets that her fight to restore the bill’s original version is far from over. Still, not everyone is against the new changes.
Annie Irwin, the founder and director of Smart Justice California, recently told California Black Media that she agreed with the changes.
The bill will soon go before the Assembly Appropriations Committee in August.