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 The measure by Senator William Monning, a Democrat, reflects a
growing national conversation about whether people who exchange sex
for money should be viewed as victims rather than as criminals,
along with a movement in California to end mandatory sentencing for
non-violent offenders.
"As we learn more, particularly about women who engage in
prostitution, we're learning more and more about human trafficking,"
Monning said. "There is also an intersection with drug and alcohol
use."
His bill, which the Senate voted to approve on Monday, would end the
state's mandatory sentences for repeat prostitution offenders, which
currently call for a minimum of 45 days in county jail for a second
offense, and 90 days for a third offense. Jail time for the
misdemeanor crime is not mandated for first offenders.
 The bill is one of about 40 trafficking-related measures before
California lawmakers this session, according to the office of
California Attorney General Kamala Harris. One of them, backed by
Harris, would create an inter-agency task force to seek data on
trafficking and develop new ways of responding to it, including new
law enforcement approaches.
The National Organization for Women is backing several human
trafficking-related measures before lawmakers this year, and is
reviewing Monning's bill, said Jerilyn Stapleton, president of the
National Organization for Women's California operations.
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Monning's proposal, which passed the Senate 23-14 and now goes to
the Assembly, also comes amid a nationwide movement to reduce the
number of non-violent offenders who are imprisoned that has won
support by many Republicans as well as Democrats.
California Governor Jerry Brown, a Democrat, is backing a ballot
initiative that would roll back some mandatory sentencing
guidelines, saying the system has taken discretion away from judges
and ultimately contributed to recidivism by providing inmates with
little incentive for rehabilitation.
(Reporting by Sharon Bernstein; Editing by Leslie Adler)
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