DATE:
January 13, 2026
10
TO:
Board of Supervisors
SUBJECT
Title
PROTECTING VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING BY REPEALING STATE SENATE BILL 357 (DISTRICTS: ALL)
Body
OVERVIEW
In 2023, State Senate Bill 357 (SB 357), authored by Senator Scott Wiener, went into effect, repealing California Penal Code Section 653.22, which prohibited loitering with the intent to engage in prostitution. The stated intent of SB 357 was to reduce profiling and prevent discrimination. However, the law has had severe unintended consequences that have created a haven for human traffickers, hindered law enforcement's ability to intervene, and enabled the ongoing exploitation of vulnerable individuals, including minors, on public streets.
Across the state, local jurisdictions and law enforcement agencies have reported a rise in visible street prostitution, open exploitation, and human trafficking in the wake of the implementation of SB 357. Without this enforcement mechanism, law enforcement officers now lack the ability to intervene in suspected trafficking cases unless a more serious criminal offense has already taken place. This has significantly limited early intervention opportunities and allowed trafficking networks to operate more freely in public spaces, often without fear of consequence.
Particularly in urban corridors of California, children and adults are being trafficked in broad daylight with virtually no legal recourse for law enforcement to intervene. In many of these cases, the lack of proactive enforcement tools has resulted in missed opportunities to identify and support victims before they are further harmed. The inability to act preemptively has not only endangered those being exploited but has also contributed to deteriorating safety conditions, increased public concern, and strained the resources of local jurisdictions attempting to respond through non-criminal avenues.
Today's action directs the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to include in the County's Le...
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