Sexual battery.
Vote required
Majority
Fiscal committee
No
Appropriation
No
Current location
Passed
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Progress
Where this bill stands in the legislative process.
- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Overview
This bill amends several sections of California law to clarify and strengthen the definition of sexual battery. Specifically, it increases the potential penalties for sexual battery, including felony charges for offenses committed in inhabited dwellings without consent. It also makes changes to laws related to psychotherapists and civil lawsuits involving sexual contact, aiming to provide clearer protections for victims and address potential loopholes.
Key provisions
- Increases penalties for sexual battery, allowing for felony charges when the offense occurs in a dwelling without consent.
- Defines ‘sexual battery’ more precisely, including touching an intimate part of another person against their will for sexual arousal.
- Modifies existing laws related to psychotherapists and their obligations regarding reporting alleged sexual misconduct by previous clients.
- Establishes a civil cause of action for patients or former patients who have suffered harm due to sexual contact with a psychotherapist.
- Clarifies definitions related to ‘psychotherapist,’ ‘sexual behavior,’ and ‘intimate part’ to provide greater clarity.
- Addresses therapeutic deception, defining it as a representation by a psychotherapist that sexual contact is part of treatment.
- Provides for a specific fine structure for misdemeanor sexual battery offenses involving employers.
- Specifies that no reimbursement is required for local agencies or school districts due to the creation of a new crime.
Bill text
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Sponsors
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1 on record
Primary sponsor
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