AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 24, 2025

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

98

Introduced by Assembly Member Nguyen

February 21, 2025

An act to amend Section 236.11 Sections 236.7, 236.8, 236.10, and 236.11 of the Penal Code, relating to crime.

Vote: majority   Appropriation: no   Fiscal committee: yes   Local program: no

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

Existing law makes it a felony, generally known as human trafficking, to deprive or violate the personal liberty of another with the intent to effect or maintain a felony violation of, among other crimes, pimping, pandering, or abducting a minor for the purpose of prostitution.

Under existing law, property and assets acquired or received in exchange for the proceeds immediately derived from the pattern of criminal profiteering activity are subject to forfeit. Existing law authorizes the forfeiture of vehicles, boats, airplanes, money, negotiable instruments, securities, real property, or other things of value used for the purpose of facilitating the human trafficking of a victim under 18 years of age for purposes of a commercial sex act and property acquired through, or that was received in exchange for the proceeds of, that crime. Existing law provides a process for a person holding a valid lien, mortgage, or other interest in forfeited property that is less than the appraised value of the property to pay the registered owner’s equity, if the trier of fact finds that the person holding the lien, mortgage, or interest had actual knowledge that the property was to be used for a purpose for which forfeiture is permitted.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 236.7 of the Penal Code is amended to read:

236.7.

(a) Any interest in a vehicle, boat, airplane, money, negotiable instruments, securities, real property, or other thing of value that was put to substantial use for the purpose of facilitating the crime of human trafficking that involves a commercial sex act, as defined in paragraph (2) of subdivision (g) of Section 236.1, where the victim was less than 18 years of age at the time of the commission of the crime, Section 236.1, may be seized and ordered forfeited by the court upon the conviction of a person guilty of human trafficking that involves a commercial sex act where the victim is an individual under 18 years of age, act, pursuant to Section 236.1.

(b) In any case in which a defendant is convicted of human trafficking pursuant to Section 236.1 and an allegation is found to be true that the victim was a person under 18 years of age and the crime involved a commercial sex act, as defined in paragraph (2) of subdivision (g) of Section 236.1, the following assets shall be subject to forfeiture upon proof of the provisions of subdivision (d) of Section 236.9:

(1) Any property interest, whether tangible or intangible, acquired through human trafficking that involves a commercial sex act where the victim was less than 18 years of age at the time of the commission of the crime. act.

(2) All proceeds from human trafficking that involves a commercial sex act where the victim was less than 18 years of age at the time of the commission of the crime, act, which property shall include all things of value that may have been received in exchange for the proceeds immediately derived from the act.

(c) If a prosecuting agency petitions for forfeiture of an interest under subdivision (a) or (b), the process prescribed in Sections 236.8 to 236.12, inclusive, shall apply, but no local or state prosecuting agency shall be required to petition for forfeiture in any case.

(d) Real property that is used as a family residence or for other lawful purposes, or that is owned by two or more persons, one of whom had no knowledge of its unlawful use, shall not be subject to forfeiture.

(e) An interest in a vehicle that may be lawfully driven with a class C, class M1, or class M2 license, as prescribed in Section 12804.9 of the Vehicle Code, may not be forfeited under this section if there is a community property interest in the vehicle by a person other than the defendant and the vehicle is the sole vehicle of this type available to the defendant’s immediate family.

(f) Real property subject to forfeiture may not be seized, absent exigent circumstances, without notice to the interested parties and a hearing to determine that seizure is necessary to preserve the property pending the outcome of the proceedings. At the hearing, the prosecution shall bear the burden of establishing that probable cause exists for the forfeiture of the property and that seizure is necessary to preserve the property pending the outcome of the forfeiture proceedings. The court may issue a seizure order pursuant to this section if it finds that seizure is warranted or a pendente lite order pursuant to Section 236.10 if it finds that the status quo or value of the property can be preserved without seizure.

(g) For purposes of this section, no allegation or proof of a pattern of criminal profiteering activity is required.

SEC. 2.

Section 236.8 of the Penal Code is amended to read:

236.8.

(a) If the prosecuting agency, in conjunction with the criminal proceeding, files a petition of forfeiture with the superior court of the county in which the defendant has been charged with human trafficking that involves a commercial sex act, as defined in paragraph (2) of subdivision (g) of Section 236.1, where the victim was less than 18 years of age at the time of the commission of the crime, Section 236.1, the prosecuting agency shall make service of process of a notice regarding that petition upon every individual who may have a property interest in the alleged proceeds or instruments. The notice shall state that any interested party may file a verified claim with the superior court stating the amount of their claimed interest and an affirmation or denial of the prosecuting agency’s allegation. If the notice cannot be given by registered mail or personal delivery, the notice shall be published for at least three successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where the property is located. If the property alleged to be subject to forfeiture is real property, the prosecuting agency shall, at the time of filing the petition of forfeiture, record a lis pendens with the county recorder in each county in which the real property is situated that specifically identifies the real property alleged to be subject to forfeiture. The judgment of forfeiture shall not affect the interest in real property of a third party that was acquired prior to the recording of the lis pendens.

(b) All notices shall set forth the time within which a claim of interest in the property seized is required to be filed pursuant to Section 236.9.

SEC. 3.

Section 236.10 of the Penal Code is amended to read:

236.10.

(a) Concurrent with or subsequent to the filing of the petition, the prosecuting agency may move the superior court for, and the superior court may issue, the following pendente lite orders to preserve the status quo of the property alleged in the petition:

(1) An injunction to restrain anyone from transferring, encumbering, hypothecating, or otherwise disposing of the property.

(2) Appointment of a receiver to take possession of, care for, manage, and operate the assets and properties so that the property may be maintained and preserved. The court may order that a receiver appointed pursuant to this section be compensated for all reasonable expenditures made or incurred by him or her the receiver in connection with the possession, care, management, and operation of property or assets that are subject to the provisions of this section.

(b) No preliminary injunction may be granted or receiver appointed without notice to the interested parties and a hearing to determine that an order is necessary to preserve the property, pending the outcome of the criminal proceedings, and that there is probable cause to believe that the property alleged in the forfeiture proceedings are proceeds, instruments, or property interests forfeitable under the provisions of Section 236.7. However, a temporary restraining order may issue pending that hearing pursuant to the provisions of Section 527 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the court in granting these motions may order a surety bond or undertaking to preserve the property interests of the interested parties.

(d) The court shall, in making its orders, seek to protect the interests of those who may be involved in the same enterprise as the defendant, but who were not involved in human trafficking that involves a commercial sex act, as defined in paragraph (2) of subdivision (g) of Section 236.1, where the victim was less than 18 years of age at the time of the commission of the crime. act, as defined in Section 236.1.

SECTION 1.SEC. 4.

Section 236.11 of the Penal Code is amended to read:

236.11.

(a) If the trier of fact at the forfeiture hearing finds that the alleged property, instruments, or proceeds are forfeitable pursuant to Section 236.7 and the defendant was engaged in human trafficking that involves a commercial sex act, as defined in paragraph (2) of subdivision (h) of Section 236.1, where the victim was less than 18 years of age at the time of the commission of the crime, the court shall declare that property or proceeds forfeited to the state or local governmental entity, subject to distribution as provided in Section 236.12. No property solely owned by a bona fide purchaser for value shall be subject to forfeiture.

(b) If the trier of fact at the forfeiture hearing finds that the alleged property is forfeitable pursuant to Section 236.7 but does not find that a person holding a valid lien, mortgage, security interest, or interest under a conditional sales contract acquired that interest with actual knowledge that the property was to be used for a purpose for which forfeiture is permitted, and the amount due to that person is less than the appraised value of the property, that person may pay to the state or the local governmental entity that initiated the forfeiture proceeding the amount of the registered owner’s equity, which shall be deemed to be the difference between the appraised value and the amount of the lien, mortgage, security interest, or interest under a conditional sales contract. Upon payment, the state or local governmental entity shall relinquish all claims to the property. If the holder of the interest elects not to pay the state or local governmental entity, the property shall be deemed forfeited to the state or local governmental entity and the ownership certificate shall be forwarded. The appraised value shall be determined as of the date judgment is entered either by agreement between the legal owner and the governmental entity involved, or, if they cannot agree, by a court-appointed appraiser for the county in which the action is brought. A person holding a valid lien, mortgage, security interest, or interest under a conditional sales contract shall be paid the appraised value of their interest.

(c) If the amount due to a person holding a valid lien, mortgage, security interest, or interest under a conditional sales contract is less than the value of the property and the person elects not to make payment to the governmental entity, the property shall be sold at public auction by the Department of General Services or by the local governmental entity. The seller shall provide notice of the sale by one publication in a newspaper published and circulated in the city, community, or locality where the sale is to take place.

(d) Notwithstanding subdivision (c), a county may dispose of real property forfeited to the county pursuant to this chapter by the process prescribed in Section 25538.5 of the Government Code.