CaliforniaCrimes: sexual exploitation of a child.
What it does
Under existing law, a person is guilty of sexual exploitation of a child if the person knowingly develops, duplicates, prints, or exchanges any representation of information, data, or image, including, but not limited to, any film, filmstrip, photograph, negative, slide, photocopy, videotape, video laser disc, computer hardware, computer software, computer floppy disc, data storage media, CD-ROM, or computer-generated equipment or any other computer-generated image that contains or incorporates in any manner, any film or filmstrip that depicts a person under 18 years of age engaged in an act of sexual conduct, as defined. Existing law makes a violation of this section punishable as a misdemeanor or a felony, as specified.
More detail
This bill would, except as specified, make a person guilty of a misdemeanor or a felony if the person knowingly does any of the above-described actions, or downloads, streams, or accesses through electronic or digital media the above-described sexual conduct, knowing that the matter depicts a person under 18 years of age engaged in an act of sexual conduct. By expanding the scope of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
Existing law, the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act, requires a mandated reporter, as defined, to make a report to a specified agency whenever the mandated reporter, in their professional capacity or within the scope of their employment, has knowledge of or observes a child whom the mandated reporter knows or reasonably suspects has been the victim of child abuse or neglect. For the purposes of this act, existing law includes sexual exploitation, and defines sexual exploitation as, among other things, a person who depicts a child in, or who knowingly develops, duplicates, prints, downloads, streams, accesses through any electronic or digital media, or exchanges, a film, photograph, videotape, video recording, negative, or slide in which a child is engaged in an act of obscene sexual conduct, except as specified.
This bill would broaden the above-described definition to include any digitally altered or artificial-intelligence-generated matter that depicts a person under 18 years of age engaged in an act of sexual conduct, as specified.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Sep 10Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 192, Statutes of 2026.Latest
- Sep 10Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Sep 4Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.To Governor
- Aug 28Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 6076.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.Major
- Vote recorded Special Consent SB1276 Rubio et al. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 27Ordered to special consent calendar.
- Aug 25In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
- Vote recorded SB 1276 Rubio Senate Third Reading By Bauer-Kahan. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 25Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 6476.) Ordered to the Senate.Passed Assembly
- Aug 17Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Aug 13Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 13From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (August 13).Major
- Aug 13Assembly Rule 63 suspended.
- Aug 5August 5 set for first hearing. Placed on suspense file.
- Jul 2From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (July 1). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Jul 2Coauthors revised.
- Jul 1
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 24From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (June 23). Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.Minor
- Jun 23
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Privacy and Consumer Protection]. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 1Referred to Coms. on PUB. S. and P. & C.P.Minor
- May 22In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.Minor
- Vote recorded Special Consent. Result: pass.Upper
- May 22Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 33. Noes 0. Page 4420.) Ordered to the Assembly.Passed Senate
- May 20Ordered to special consent calendar.
- May 14Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Upper
- May 14From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 4271.) (May 14).Minor
- May 8Set for hearing May 14.
- Apr 27April 27 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
- Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 17Set for hearing April 27.
- Apr 14From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 3872.) (April 14). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 27Set for hearing April 14.
- Mar 4Referred to Com. on PUB. S.Minor
- Feb 23Read first time.Minor
- Feb 23From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 23.
- Feb 20Introduced. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.Introduced