California’s Anti-Sex Trafficking Bill Passes With Age Ceiling in Place, Serving CA Dems a Huge Loss

After weeks of ridiculous and unnecessary drama that was fully engineered by California Democrats, early Thursday morning, the anti-sex trafficking bill AB 379, which makes purchase of a minor aged 17-years-old or younger a felony, passed the Assembly with 72 YAY votes, and 0 NAY votes. Assemblymembers Joaquim Arambula (D-Fresno), Leticia Castillo (D-Jurupa Valley), Catherine Stefani (D-San Francisco), Mia Bonta (D-Alameda), and Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-La Palma) abstained from voting.

The bill goes on to the Senate, and if passed in that body, will go to Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk for signature. Newsom had previously vocalized his support of the bill with the inclusion of the age ceiling of 16-17 years old.

BREAKING NEWS: moments ago, we forced CA Assembly Democrats to cave in to public pressure and finally pass AB 379 to make it a felony to purchase a 16 or 17 year old minor for s*x. Thank you to all who helped us achieve this big victory! pic.twitter.com/9tVigztxsp
— Carl DeMaio (@carldemaio) May 15, 2025

The California Assembly on Thursday morning passed a proposed law that would make it easier for prosecutors to charge a felony against those who buy 16- and 17-year-olds for sex.
With the Assembly's 74-0 vote, the legislation is now halfway through the state's lawmaking process and heads to the State Senate for consideration.
The proposal also makes it a crime again in California to loiter with the intent to purchase anyone for commercial sex, creates heftier fines for businesses like hotels that allow the crime to take place on their property, and creates a new fund for victim support services.

Its passage is a big victory for young men and women, as well as California families concerned for the safety of their children in a state where sex trafficking is rampant. Mom activist and former Assembly candidate Denise Aguilar took to X and did good work summarizing the drama surrounding AB 379, as well as breaking down the important tenets of this bill and its key passages.

California Democrats forced to support AB379 after initially watering it down. After severe backlash the amendments include.

1. Assemblymember Maggy Krell (D-
Sacramento) - the original author of AB 379 - was added as a coauthor after she was removed as its author. ( After… pic.twitter.com/LTpHivPYTJ
— Denise Aguilar (@InformedMama209) May 15, 2025

California Democrats forced to support AB379 after initially watering it down. After severe backlash the amendments include.

1. Assemblymember Maggy Krell (D- Sacramento) - the original author of AB 379 - was added as a coauthor after she was removed as its author. ( After kicking her off and putting another legislator as the author )

2. One of the major amendments will allow for increased felony punishment against someone who purchases or solicits a minor for sex "if the solicited minor was more than 3 years younger than the defendant at the time of the offense. The bill would require a defendant subject to that increased punishment, if granted probation, to successfully complete an education program on human trafficking and the exploitation of children, as specified. 1." This scenario would apply to all minor victims, including 16-and-17 year old victims.

3. Per the bill author's office, AB 379 creates a Survivor Support Fund to bolster direct services for victims and survivors of sex trafficking and exploitation. New language in this agreement will increase fines for businesses that look the other way or abet human trafficking, with revenue going to the Survivor Support Fund.

I can’t believe this was so controversial and how corrupt the Democrat party has become, running misleading ads that the Republicans voted against this. Shame on all of them

California Democrats were thoroughly shamed, and it was shame of their own making.

Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Hollister), who normally speaks before a vote of this significance, was uncharacteristically silent. A week ago, Rivas was actively trying to destroy AB 379 by partnering with Public Safety Committee Chairman Nick Schultz (D-Burbank) in stripping the age ceiling and stalling the bill in committee by claiming that more listening sessions were required.

According to California Capitol Correspondent Ashley Zavala, Rivas actively partnered in the promotion of a series of deceptive ads blaming Assembly Republicans and accusing them of blocking protections for 16-17 year old trafficking victims.

Five days after briefly putting up misleading ads on the state's child sex trafficking fight, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and the California Democratic Party's chairman remain silent.
The California Democratic Party placed the ads on Facebook from Sunday to Monday against a handful of Republican assembly members, falsely stating they voted against stronger protections for 16- and 17-year-old victims of sex trafficking and misrepresenting a vote on the Assembly floor last week, when Democrats blocked an effort to make it a felony to purchase the teens for sex. This week, Democratic leaders reversed course on that decision and are set to vote on the felony on Thursday.

AB 379's author, Assemblywoman Maggy Krell (D-Sacramento) is a longtime prosecutor of sex crimes. So, the passage of this bill is a fitting fulfillment of her life's work.

They can take my name off the bill but I’ll never stop fighting to protect children from predators. https://t.co/4hO4uIDd42
— Maggy Krell (@maggykrell) May 3, 2025

But an even bigger victory can be given to the Assembly Republicans and the California GOP. As the party in the minority, they not only managed to control and promote the narrative, but they came off as bipartisan, pro-family and pro-protection, not to mention sane.

AB 379 faces obstacles in the Senate led by Scott Weiner (D-San Francisco). Weiner remains adversarial to parental rights, authoring and promoting bills that lower the age of consent and eroding protections for the underaged.