California's state legislature passed a bill Wednesday that would classify child sex trafficking as a serious felony and keep repeat traffickers in prison longer.
The bill now heads to Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk after a final, unanimous vote of approval in the State Senate.
“With the passage of this bill, we are sending a clear message to repeat child traffickers— we intend to put you out of business and into prison," bill sponsor Sen. Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield), said in a statement.
Grove added that human trafficking is rampant in California and the state must take bold action to hold traffickers accountable for their crimes.
Human trafficking is among the world's fastest growing criminal enterprises and is estimated to be a $150 billion-a-year global industry.
California is one of the largest sites for human trafficking in the country, with thousands of people, many of them minors, forced into sexual exploitation each year. The state consistently ranks number one in the nation in the number of human trafficking cases reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.
By classifying child sex trafficking as a serious and violent felony, the crime would be considered a strike under the state's Three Strikes law, which increases the prison sentences of repeat offenders.
Newsom has until October 14 to sign or veto the bill.
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