Senator Suzette Martinez Valladares (R-Santa Clarita) announced today that her three-bill public safety legislative package has passed the California State Senate and now advances to the Assembly for consideration. The package strengthens protections for crime victims, establishes a statewide task force to combat human trafficking, and cracks down on chronic illegal dumping across California.
"These bills are about real people: survivors who deserve stronger protection from their abusers, victims of trafficking and communities drowning in illegal dumping while repeat offenders face little consequence,” said Sen. Valladares. “Californians have been clear, they want safer communities and for perpetrators to be held accountable. This package helps to do just that.”
SB 1395 - Kayleigh's Law: Expanding Protective Orders for the Most Vulnerable Victims
Under current California law, victims of serious violent felonies and felony sex offenses are forced to return to court repeatedly, sometimes for decades, just to renew the protective orders keeping them safe. Every renewal means reliving the worst moments of their lives. Every court appearance means facing their abuser again.
SB 1395 authorizes judges to issue 20-year protective orders at sentencing for individuals convicted of felony sex offenses against a minor. Orders may be modified or lifted under specific circumstances, preserving judicial discretion while fundamentally shifting the burden away from survivors.
The bill is named after Kayleigh Kozak, a survivor and advocate who has been forced to face her abuser in court for more than a decade after her case was closed. Kayleigh's Law is co-sponsored by the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls.
"No survivor should have to repeatedly confront their abusers just to maintain the most basic protection," said Sen. Valladares. "Kayleigh's Law will improve protections for our most vulnerable victims and is a good start - but we must do more - and I’ll never stop fighting for protections for crime victims."
SB 1022 - The MAST Act: A Statewide Coordinated Response to Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is one of the most heinous crimes imaginable, and California's fragmented response has too often left victims without the help they need and traffickers without the accountability they deserve.
The California Multidisciplinary Alliance to Stop Trafficking (MAST) Act establishes a statewide task force to evaluate and strengthen collaboration between government agencies and the nonprofit organizations serving trafficking victims. The task force will bring together experts, service providers, and state officials to identify best practices, close gaps in services, and deliver a unified, all-hands-on-deck response to trafficking across California. Findings and recommendations will be reported directly to the Governor, the Attorney General, the Legislature, and the Office of Emergency Services.
"Human trafficking is an evil, complex, and evolving crime," said Sen. Valladares. "Traffickers are organized. California's response must be too. The MAST Act ensures we are coordinating every available resource to protect victims and bring traffickers to justice."
SB 1230 - Cracking Down on Illegal Dumping: Real Penalties for Repeat Offenders
Illegal dumping is not a victimless crime. It poisons communities, threatens public health, destroys neighborhoods, and costs local governments and taxpayers millions of dollars in cleanup every year. And for too long, repeat offenders have faced fines so outdated and consequences so minimal that illegal dumping has remained essentially consequence-free.
SB 1230 changes that. The legislation increases penalties for repeat offenders, updates fine structures that have not kept pace with the true cost of environmental damage and cleanup, and designates the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) as the lead state agency. It will also require CalRecycle to make an informational website with necessary resources, giving cities and counties direct access to enforcement tools, funding opportunities, and best practices.
"Repeat illegal dumpers have been rolling past California's enforcement system for years," said Sen. Valladares. "This bill makes clear that trashing our communities has real consequences and gives local agencies the tools and resources to back that up."
The Package Now Moves to the Assembly
Together, these bills represent an overdue, victim-centered approach to public safety, holding offenders accountable, strengthening coordination across agencies, and delivering meaningful quality-of-life improvements to communities across California.
“I am calling on the Assembly to act with urgency, to improve public safety in California. California's crime victims, trafficking survivors, and communities impacted by illegal dumping cannot afford delay."