California is in the grip of a human trafficking epidemic. On the very streets where children should be walking to school and families gathering in safety, an unthinkable crime thrives: the buying and selling of human beings for sex. And tragically, thanks to misguided legislation like SB 357, predators have been given free rein to loiter in cars outside homes and schools, waiting to exploit the most vulnerable.
But there is hope—and it’s found in Assembly Bill 379, the Survivor Support and Demand Reduction Act, led by Assemblywoman Maggy Krell (D-Sacramento) and co-authored by a strong bipartisan coalition. California Family Council stands firmly in support of this bill because it represents both justice for survivors and accountability for exploiters.
Reversing a Dangerous Mistake
In 2021, SB 357—authored by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and backed by groups like the ACLU and Equality California—decriminalized loitering for the purpose of prostitution. The effect was swift and devastating. Street prostitution exploded across inner-city neighborhoods, particularly in poor, minority communities. In Oakland, San Francisco, and South Los Angeles, mothers were forced to shield their children from graphic scenes occurring just steps from their front doors. Some cities even reported sex buyers cruising school zones in broad daylight.
SB 357 not only emboldened traffickers and pimps, but also left law enforcement powerless to stop the very behaviors that facilitate exploitation. It sent a message to predators: California will look the other way.
What AB 379 Does
AB 379 is a necessary course correction. It allows law enforcement to once again intervene when men loiter in cars with the clear intent to purchase sex—a known tactic of traffickers and buyers. Importantly, this bill does not recriminalize the women and children caught up in exploitation. Instead, it rightly focuses enforcement on the men who create demand and perpetuate the cycle of trafficking.
Additionally, AB 379 establishes a fund to support victims of sex trafficking. Survivors will have access to community-based services that offer counseling, housing, job training, and trauma recovery. This is not merely punishment for predators—it is restoration for victims.
The Human Cost of Inaction
Opponents of AB 379 argue that anti-loitering laws criminalize poverty or identity. But that argument ignores the painful reality of human trafficking: the real victims are disproportionately girls and women of color, foster youth, and teens with no place to turn. These children are not criminals. They are captives.
Imagine a 16-year-old girl, trafficked across city lines, bought and sold by adult men, and forced to return each night to her captor. What message does it send when the law refuses to intervene or the law prevents them from intervening? A government that refuses to enforce moral laws is not neutral—it is complicit.
A United Front
AB 379 is backed by more than 20 co-authors from both parties, with key support from law enforcement, local leaders, and—most critically—survivors themselves. This is a coalition that refuses to be silent while our neighborhoods are used as hunting grounds for sex buyers.
Even liberal lawmakers like Senators Anna Caballero and Susan Rubio have joined forces with conservatives like Senator Shannon Grove to pass this bill. That’s not just politics—that’s principle.
A Moral Imperative
From a biblical perspective, the call to protect the vulnerable is non-negotiable. Proverbs 31:8 commands us to “Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute.” AB 379 opens that mouthpiece on behalf of the voiceless.
California Family Council urges the Assembly Public Safety Committee to approve this bill and for the full legislature to act swiftly. The time to reduce demand and restore survivors is now.
We invite all Christians, churches, parents, and community leaders to stand with us. The fight for life and liberty doesn’t end at the womb—it continues into the streets where God’s children are waiting to be rescued.
Take Action Today:
Call your Assemblymember. Share survivor stories. Write to the committee. Visit californiafamily.org to learn more.
Let’s show California—and the world—that our children are not for sale.
