CA Assembly Public Safety Committee passed bill SB1322

Dear WestCoast Community:

The CA Assembly Public Safety Committee passed Senator Holly Mitchell’s bill, SB 1322, with a vote of 6 -1 yesterday. SB 1322 gives children immunity from prostitution charges. Thank you for taking the time to make calls to members of the Public Safety Committee to let them know there is no such thing as a child prostitute. As Senator Mitchell asserts:

“California currently allows for criminalization of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) victims by charging them with crimes committed while being victimized. Under current law a victim can be detained in juvenile hall and prosecuted for prostitution. This is not an effective or ethical response to this growing epidemic.”

Thanks to the Assembly Public Safety Committee, we are one step closer to ensuring that sexually exploited youth receive the same protective response that we provide for all other victims of child abuse.

The bill will be heard next  on the Assembly Floor. If approved, SB 1322 will go to Governor Jerry Brown for his signature.  We will let you know how you can support the bill as it moves forward.

Thank you again to Senator Mitchell and the Assembly Public Safety Committee for your commitment to supporting sexually exploited youth.

Thank you,

Jodie Langs
Policy and Communications Director

How children in foster care could benefit from the new federal education law

“For far too long, we as a country have failed so many of our most vulnerable students,” Education Secretary John King Jr. told reporters Wednesday. “We cannot allow the students who need our attention the most to be treated unfairly under the law.”

The Washington Post reports on the Obama administration new education compliance standards states and school disitricts must meet. Continue reading here. 

Action Alert: Tell CA Assembly Public Safety Committee there is no such thing as a child prostitute

California lawmakers are considering important legislation that will stop authorities from treating victims of child sex trafficking like criminals. We need your help to make this happen. Please call your legislators and tell them to support SB 1322 so that CA definitively affirms that there is #NoSuchThing as a “child prostitute.”