By Valerie Schmalz
After a lengthy battle, paying for sex with a 16-or 17-year-old will be a felony—expanding the state’s laws penalizing sex trafficking and prostitution to all those who purchase sex from any child under 18. AB 379 was signed into law by California Gov. Gavin Newsom July 30. The hard-fought multi-year struggle to make it a felony to purchase minors of any age for sex was spearheaded by Republican and Democratic women lawmakers.
The new law also makes loitering with intent to purchase sex a misdemeanor, punishable with a $1,000 fine. Those funds will go into the Survivor Support Fund to help survivors rebuild their lives.
“We are thrilled to see the signing of AB 379! This sends a clear message that human beings are not for sale,” said Molly Sheahan, Associate Director for Healthy Families of the California Catholic Conference.
“I am grateful for the work of survivors, advocates and the Catholic community to raise their voices that children deserve protection from human trafficking,” Sheahan said in an email to the Archdiocese of San Francisco. The California Catholic Conference issued action alerts for voters to contact their lawmakers. The Archdiocese of San Francisco raised awareness in emails and on social media.
“This took almost a decade, an amazing group of survivor leaders speaking up, and some very courageous authors willing to educate the members and the public,” said Sheahan, who noted that Democratic women lawmakers were willing to buck some men in the party who did not want to make soliciting a child for sex a felony.
The legislation was originally sponsored by Sacramento Democratic Assemblymember Maggie Krell, who was taken off the bill by leadership for rebelling against the Assembly leadership’s initial decision to gut the felony portion of the bill. An outcry led to reinstatement of the felony penalty but with an exemption for those up to three years older than the minor child solicited.
The final state Senate passage of the legislation had only two no votes, San Francisco Democratic Sen. Scott Weiner and Napa Democratic Sen. Christopher Cabaldon. In the state Assembly, the final vote was 74-5. Among those voting against AB 379 were San Francisco Democratic Assemblymember Catherine Stefani and Oakland Democratic Assemblymember Mia Bonta.
AB 379 takes effect Jan. 1, 2026. The new law makes it a felony to solicit a child of any age if the buyer is more than three years older than the victim. The law will change the existing situation where men who buy 16- and 17-year-old girls and boys could receive a misdemeanor and as little as two days in jail, the California Catholic Conference noted in its action alert, calling for voters to support AB 379.
“This ensures that the exploiters who purchase children are criminalized for their actions that devastate lives,” the California Catholic Conference stated.
The bill reinstated a provision in the original sex trafficking law passed in 2024, which was also a hard-fought victory. Last year Senate Democrats removed the felony provision for soliciting 16- and 17-year-olds in legislation that eventually passed. That legislation was sponsored by Republican Bakersfield Sen. Shannon Grove and Democratic Senators Anna Caballero of Merced and Susan Rubio of West Covina.
“With the Governor’s signing of AB 379 today, our efforts to make it a felony to buy or sell a child for sex in the state of California have come full circle,” Sen. Grove wrote on her Facebook page. “The Governor’s signature on AB 379 is more than a policy win; it’s a powerful step toward justice for every child who has been sold and every survivor who bravely stood up to demand change. It has been a long road, and I’m deeply grateful to the advocates, survivors, and colleagues who never gave up. Congratulations to Assemblymember Krell for her tireless leadership in getting this bill across the finish line.”
The new law “marks another bold and compassionate step toward ensuring that survivors are seen, heard and protected,” the California Survivor Coalition wrote in a letter to Sen. Grove.
AB 379 also enforces the requirement for businesses to post trafficking awareness posters with the human trafficking hotline and supports vertical prosecution, a trauma-informed approach where the prosecutor on a trafficking case is the same person throughout the process.
“No one should have to trade the most personal and intimate of acts that is sex for basic human rights like food, water, shelter, or clothing. Penalizing and fining men who loiter to buy sex, providing support funds and legal assistance to survivors will help break this cycle for the most vulnerable in our society,” the California Catholic Conference stated.
Valerie Schmalz is director of the Office of Human Life & Dignity in the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
