California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill to bolster penalties for adults who solicit minors for sex on July 30.
The new law will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026, and increases prison terms for offenders convicted of soliciting teens under 16 for sexual acts.
The legislation, authored by state Sen. Shannon Grove, passed with bipartisan support in the California Legislature last month after dissent from some lawmakers regarding certain aspects of the legislation. Specifically, the Senate Public Safety Committee passed the bill, but only after rejecting amendments that would have weakened penalties for soliciting 16- and 17-year-olds.
Assembly Bill 379, which was initially introduced in February, establishes loitering with the intent to solicit commercial sex as a misdemeanor, imposes fines as high as $25,000 for soliciting minors under 16, and allows felony human trafficking charges for repeat offenders who buy sex from minors….