Violent Crime

Imposes a new 10-year tier-one registration for certain USM offenses after 2026. Adds age-gap-based trigger for unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor: minor >3 years younger, or 21+ with under 16. Keeps the tier structure and five-day registration, with DOJ tier-determination when unclear. Clarifies no state reimbursement for local costs due to the new mandate.

Expands sex offender registration requirements to include juveniles released from secure youth treatment facilities. Establishes a two-tier registration system with 5-year and 10-year minimum registration periods based on offense severity. Requires facilities to inform juveniles of registration duties before release and transmit information to the Department of Justice. Allows juveniles to petition for removal from the registry after completing their mandatory registration period.

Establishes new penalties for caregivers who sexually assault dependent persons under their care. Mandates 5-9 years imprisonment for caregivers who commit sexual assault against dependent persons. Requires life imprisonment for sexual assault committed during first-degree burglary. Expands legal protections for dependent persons against sexual assault by their caretakers.

Requires courts to consider evidence of human trafficking by parents when determining child custody. Expands child custody evaluation criteria beyond existing domestic violence considerations. Applies to cases where a parent trafficked either the child or the other parent.

Revises state homicide laws by removing riot suppression as a legal justification for deadly force. Requires people outside their home to retreat if safely possible before using deadly force. Prohibits initial aggressors from claiming self-defense unless they clearly attempt to stop fighting. Maintains existing protections for residents who use deadly force against home intruders.

Expands asset forfeiture laws to cover all human trafficking cases involving commercial sex acts, not just those with minors. Authorizes courts to seize vehicles, property, and assets used in or gained from human trafficking activities. Requires notification to all parties with property interests before asset seizure can proceed. Protects family homes and innocent co-owners from property forfeiture in trafficking cases.

Prohibits courts from using juvenile offenses to enhance adult criminal sentences under the Three Strikes Law. Establishes a process for people to petition courts to remove juvenile-based sentence enhancements. Requires prosecutors to prove beyond reasonable doubt why someone is ineligible for resentencing. Mandates that resentenced individuals receive credit for time served and may face up to 3 years of parole.

Establishes OpenJustice publication of arrests for human trafficking and victims. Requires local agencies to report these data to the Attorney General via IBRS. Creates a state-mandated local program with potential reimbursements and no appropriation.

Requires restitution to be paid before all fines, penalties, and fees. Establishes priority of restitution over all other criminal debts. Enforces restitution as if a civil judgment for collection. Orders full restitution for economic losses, including medical and wages.

Establishes age-neutral enforcement for forced marriages. Creates two-phase nullity framework with a sunset. Authorizes late petitions for force-based nullity upon good cause. Unifies civil and criminal age-neutral approach to forced marriage.

Mandates 10-year parole ineligibility for a narrow torturer subset. Covers offenses on or after 2026 by adults who cared for victims 14 or younger. Preserves life sentence and seven-year baseline for all other torturers. Applies the new standard through the existing parole process.

Prohibits inmates convicted of serious child abuse from earning double sentence credits as firefighters. Maintains double sentence credits for eligible inmates serving as firefighters or in conservation camps. Applies to both state prison and county jail inmates who participate in firefighting programs.

Extends the time for prosecutors to object to wrongful conviction compensation claims from 15 to 45 days. Authorizes prosecutors to use trial records alone to challenge compensation claims if clear evidence exists. Prohibits compensation payments to anyone currently serving time for a serious or violent felony. Requires outstanding restitution orders to be paid from compensation before claimants receive payment.

Expands vacatur relief to victims of trafficking and violence for all offenses except murder. Requires agencies to seal arrest records within 90 days of court orders and destroy them within one year. Extends affirmative defense options to include violent felonies for trafficking and violence victims. Mandates the Department of Justice to notify victims when their records are sealed.

Establishes a hospital-based aggravating factor for sexual battery sentencing. Adds hospital employment of the defendant as an aggravator when the offense occurs at a hospital. Preserves current penalties but permits enhancement under the hospital aggravator. Declares no local reimbursement is required for this act.

Classifies knowingly providing fentanyl to minors as a serious felony in California. Prohibits plea bargaining for fentanyl cases involving minors except in limited circumstances. Adds a mandatory 5-year sentence enhancement for repeat serious felony offenders. Requires local agencies to implement new enforcement programs without state funding.

Authorizes individuals under age 26 to petition courts to seal and destroy eligible criminal records after 4 years. Requires law enforcement agencies to seal records within 90 days and destroy them within one year of court orders. Excludes serious crimes, violent felonies, and sex offenses from eligibility for record sealing. Denies relief to petitioners who have not paid victim restitution or were convicted of new offenses.

Expands court relief for human trafficking victims under 18 to clear any criminal offenses from their records. Requires victims to prove their offense was directly caused by being trafficked to receive relief. Mandates courts to seal and destroy all records within one year if relief is granted. Allows victims to petition for relief at any time after escaping trafficking with no deadline.

Expands asset forfeiture laws to seize property from human trafficking without proving a pattern of criminal activity. Directs seized assets to fund victim services and law enforcement training for human trafficking cases. Requires prosecutors to prove beyond reasonable doubt that property was gained through human trafficking. Protects innocent property owners by exempting assets owned by legitimate purchasers from seizure.

Creates the Tule East Groundwater Sustainability Agency to manage groundwater resources in Tulare County. Establishes a five-member board including representatives from water districts and agricultural interests. Authorizes the agency to impose fees on groundwater extraction to fund sustainability programs. Requires coordination with other local agencies to develop and implement groundwater management plans.

Expands vacatur relief for victims of intimate partner violence who committed nonviolent crimes while being abused. Requires courts to evaluate public safety impact before vacating convictions of licensed professionals. Mandates licensing boards receive 45 days to respond when licensed professionals seek conviction removal. Requires sealing and destruction of arrest records within three years of court approval.

Removes the spousal exception from California's rape law, making rape illegal regardless of marital status. Expands the definition of rape to include acts against those incapable of consent due to mental or physical disability. Defines specific circumstances that constitute rape, including force, threats, unconsciousness, and deception. Requires prosecutors to prove victim's inability to consent when mental or physical disability is involved.

Establishes a new grant program to fund community organizations supporting sex trafficking victims. Increases penalties for hotels that fail to report known sex trafficking activities on their premises. Creates a Survivor Support Fund from fines collected from trafficking-related violations. Requires district attorneys to use vertical prosecution methods for human trafficking cases.

Expands California's extortion law to include threats involving AI-generated images and videos. Makes threatening to create or distribute AI-generated content a criminal offense under extortion laws. Requires local law enforcement to enforce the new AI-related extortion provisions without state funding.

Expands credible threat to include threats to pets and service animals. Raises penalties with protective orders or prior felonies; allows up to ten years. Adds sex-offender registration and court-ordered counseling or treatment. Expands electronic communication definitions and preserves labor-picketing exemption.