California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a new legislation, Senate Bill 1043, which has received support from Paris Hilton. The bill aims to increase oversight and review of the use of restraints and isolation in residential treatment facilities. It also establishes a publicly available database for reporting incidents related to these practices.
The bill was introduced by Senator Shannon Grove, a conservative lawmaker known for her opposition to Medi-Cal health insurance for illegal immigrants and mandatory vaccinations for schoolchildren. Hilton sponsored and advocated for the legislation due to her personal traumatic experiences in similar residential treatment facilities.
Hilton shared her story of abuse at Provo Canyon School in Utah in 2021, where she suffered both mental and physical abuse from staff members. Her advocacy work extends beyond California as she testified before the House Ways and Means Committee on “Strengthening Child Welfare and Protecting America’s Children” at Capitol Hill.
The new law requires the California Department of Social Services to publish a public dashboard on its website, notifying parents or guardians about incidents involving seclusion or restraint used on children. Hilton expressed gratitude towards Governor Newsom for signing this law, stating that it brings much-needed oversight to protect vulnerable youth.
In addition to SB 1043, Newsom also signed Senate Bill 1414 into law this week. This bill increases penalties for child sex buyers by elevating solicitation or purchasing a child for sex from a misdemeanor to a felony offense.
Newsom has been actively addressing issues related to human trafficking as he signed three other bills alongside SB 1414. These bills focus on allowing emergency room patients to confidentially identify themselves as victims of human trafficking or domestic violence, creating guidelines for law enforcement agencies when interacting with survivors of human trafficking, and establishing a new labor trafficking unit within the Department of Justice.
It is worth noting that Assembly Democrats initially rejected another one of Grove’s bills in 2023 but eventually passed it after criticism from Governor Newsom himself. This bill added sex trafficking of minors as one of the ”serious felonies” under California’s penal code.
