Valladares announces public safety legislative package

Sen. Suzette Martinez Valladares, R-Acton, announced her public safety legislative package aimed at strengthening protections for crime victims, improving efforts to combat human trafficking, and cracking down on illegal dumping across California. 

“Public safety means protecting our state’s most vulnerable, holding offenders accountable, and ensuring our communities are safe and clean,” Valladares said in a news release. “This package aims to address some of the most pressing public safety challenges facing our communities.” 

The release provided the following summaries of the bills in the package: 

• Senate Bill 1022, the California Multidisciplinary Alliance to Stop Trafficking Act, establishes a statewide task force to evaluate and improve collaboration between government agencies and nonprofit organizations serving human trafficking victims. 

The task force will bring together experts, service providers and state officials to identify best practices, close gaps in services, and strengthen California’s response to trafficking. The task force will report findings and recommendations to the governor, the attorney general, the Legislature, and the Office of Emergency Services. 

“Human trafficking is an evil, complex and evolving crime that demands a coordinated response,” Valladares said in the release. “This bill ensures we have an all-hands-on-deck approach to better protect trafficking victims and hold traffickers accountable.” 

• Senate Bill 1395, known as Kayleigh’s Law, allows judges to issue lifetime protective orders at sentencing for individuals convicted of serious or violent felonies, or felony sex offenses against a minor. 

Under current law, victims must repeatedly return to court to renew protective orders, often forcing them to relive traumatic experiences, the release said. Kayleigh’s Law provides courts with the discretion to issue long-term protections, while allowing orders to be modified or lifted under specific circumstances. 

The bill is named after survivor and advocate Kayleigh Kozak, who has been forced to face her abuser in court for more than a decade after her case had been 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 abuser just to maintain the most basic protections,” Valladares said in the release. “Kayleigh’s Law puts the rights of victims before perpetrators, and will provide stability, safety, and peace of mind to crime victims who have already endured so much.” 

• Senate Bill 1230 brings accountability to the crime of illegal dumping by increasing penalties for repeat offenders and improving coordination between state and local agencies.  

The legislation updates outdated fine structures that have not kept pace with the true cost of cleanup and environmental damage, helping to deter chronic violators, the release said. It also designates the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) as the state’s lead resource hub, providing cities and counties with centralized access to enforcement tools, funding opportunities and best practices.  

“Illegal dumping harms our environment, threatens public health and drains local resources,” Valladares said in the release. “This bill gives communities the tools they need to hold offenders accountable and keep neighborhoods clean.” 

“This package is about delivering real solutions,” Valladares added. “From protecting survivors of violence and trafficking to addressing illegal dumping in our communities, these bills are focused on making California safer for everyone.” 

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