Under existing law, a person who solicits, or who agrees to engage in, or who engages in, any act of prostitution is guilty of disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor. Under existing law, if the person solicited was under 16 years of age, or if the person solicited was under 18 years of age at the time of the offense and the person solicited was a victim of human trafficking, the offense is punishable as a misdemeanor by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than one year and a fine not to exceed $10,000 or as a felony by imprisonment in the county jail for 16 months or 2 or 3 years.
This bill would require a person who commits prostitution with the intent to receive compensation, money, or anything of value from another person to, for a first or 2nd violation of those provisions, be offered a diversion program pursuant to specified provisions. The bill would make it a misdemeanor for any person to loiter in any public place with the intent to purchase commercial sex, as specified. The bill would make any person who violates that crime or who commits prostitution in exchange for providing compensation, money, or anything of value to the other person subject to an additional fine of $1,000, and would establish the Survivor Support Fund and require that additional fine be deposited in the fund. The bill would require the California Victim Compensation Board to establish a grant program to provide grants to community-based organizations that provide direct services and outreach to victims of sex trafficking and exploitation, and would, upon appropriation by the Legislature, authorize moneys in the Survivor Support Fund to be used for the purposes of that grant program. By creating a new crime and increasing the punishment of 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.

Statutes affected:
AB 379: 462.5 PEN
02/03/25 - Introduced: 462.5 PEN
02/24/25 - Amended Assembly: 647 PEN, 647 PEN, 462.5 PEN
03/27/25 - Amended Assembly: 647 PEN
05/01/25 - Amended Assembly: 647 PEN