Policy to Watch

The Alliance to End Abuse is a part of the Policy & Planning Division of the Employment & Human Services Department (EHSD) and tracks policy at the local, state and federal levels. We keep an eye out for legislation that can help prevent violence and addresses the underlying causes. The Alliance mainly tracks policy in the areas of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, elder and child abuse.

Domestic Violence

Housing Discrimination

AB 446

Author: Assembly Member Choi, February 2019

This bill would help protect victims of domestic violence from housing discrimination. Victims couldn’t be denied housing solely because of their status as a victim of abuse.

Firearm Relinquishment

AB 465

Author: Assembly Member Eggman, February 2019

This bill would require a court, when issuing a protective order, to determine whether the restrained person has possession or control of a firearm in violation of the requirement to relinquish that firearm.

Domestic Violence Victim’s Information Card

AB 2833

Author: Assembly Members Lackey and Blanca Rubio, February 2020

This bill would add the issuance of Victims of Domestic Violence cards as a topic in the course of instruction for the training of law enforcement officers. This bill would additionally require the Victims of Domestic Violence card to be a different color than other cards issued by officers, to include a disclaimer, to be available in languages other than English, and to include various information such as the definition of domestic violence and the statute of limitations for domestic violence. This bill would make these changes operative on January 1, 2022. Because this bill would expand an existing local program, it would impose a state-mandated local program.

Homelessness: DV Survivors

SB 1088

Author: Senator Rubio, February 2020

This bill would require a city, county, or continuum of care to use at least 12% of specified homelessness prevention or support moneys for services for domestic violence survivors experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The bill would require local agencies, on or before January 1, 2022, to establish and submit to the Department of Housing and Community Development an actionable plan to address the needs of domestic violence survivors and their children experiencing homelessness.

Human Trafficking

Solicitation of a Minor

AB 2862 and SB 1282

Authors: Assembly Member Rubio and Senator Morrell

These two bills both seek to increase the punishment for soliciting a minor. Current law calls for a minimum of 2 days in jail for this crime. These two bills, while not exactly the same, would increase the severity of the charge and ideally would help prevent exploitation of vulnerable youth.

Victims Services and Supports

SB 1225

Author: Senator Atkins, February 2020

Existing law authorizes a city, county, city and county, or community-based nonprofit organization to establish a human trafficking multidisciplinary personnel team consisting of 2 or more persons who are trained in the prevention, identification, management, or treatment of human trafficking cases and who are qualified to provide a broad range of services related to human trafficking. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to address the need for services and supports for victims of human trafficking.

Vacatur Relief for Victims: Fines

AB 2868 and AB 2869

Author: Both bills by Assembly Member Patterson, February 2020

These bills would prohibit a court from refusing to hear the petition on the basis of the petitioner’s outstanding fines and fees or the petitioners’s failure to meet the conditions of probation. With the exception of restitution, the bills would require that the collection of fines imposed as a result of a nonviolent offense that is the subject of the petition be stayed while the petition is pending.

Victim Advocate

AB 3059

Author: Assembly Member Kalra, February 2020

This bill would establish the right of a victim of human trafficking to have an advocate and a support person of the victim’s choosing present at any interview by law enforcement authorities. The bill would also require a human trafficking advocate to advise the victim of any limitations on the confidentiality of communications between the victim and the human trafficking advocate prior to being present at any interview conducted by law enforcement authorities.

General Victim Confidentiality

SB 1311

Author: Senator Jackson, February 2020

Existing law authorizes victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking, or elder or dependent adult abuse to complete an application to be approved by the Secretary of State for the purpose of enabling state and local agencies to respond to requests for public records without disclosing a program participant’s residence address contained in any public record and otherwise provide for confidentiality of identity for that person, subject to specified conditions. This bill would help protect the confidentiality of victims and would be a step towards contributing to their safety.