Bills

AB 1656: Human trafficking case continuances.

  • Session Year: 2025-2026
  • House: Assembly
  • Latest Version Date: 2026-06-11

Current Status:

In Progress

(2026-06-11: Read second time and amended. Ordered to third reading.)

Introduced

In Committee

First Chamber

In Committee

Second Chamber

Enacted

Version:

Existing law makes a person who deprives or violates the personal liberty of another with the intent to obtain forced labor or services, or to effect or maintain a violation of various felony or misdemeanor offenses, including offenses relating to prostitution, child pornography, as specified, or extortion, as defined, guilty of human trafficking. Existing law makes a person who causes, induces, or persuades, or attempts to cause, induce, or persuade, a person who is a minor at the time of commission of the offense to engage in a commercial sex act, with the intent to effect or maintain a violation of various felony or misdemeanor offenses, also guilty of human trafficking.

Existing law establishes the requirements for a continuance to be granted in a criminal case, including a showing of good cause. Existing law defines good cause for this purpose to include, but not be limited to, cases involving specified crimes, including murder and domestic violence, and to apply when the prosecuting attorney assigned to the case has another trial, preliminary hearing, or motion to suppress in progress in that court or another court.

This bill would expand the list of crimes that may support a finding of good cause to specifically include human trafficking, as defined. The bill would prohibit a court from granting more than one continuance to the people per case for cases involving human trafficking.

This bill would, in a case involving human trafficking, require the court, in determining if good cause for a continuance exists, to give great weight to the fact that the prosecuting attorney assigned to the case has another trial, preliminary hearing, or motion to suppress in progress in that court or another court. The bill would authorize the court to grant only one continuance for a maximum of 10 additional court days for that reason.

Discussed in Hearing

Senate Standing Committee on Public Safety27MIN
Jun 9, 2026

Senate Standing Committee on Public Safety

Assembly Floor1MIN
Mar 12, 2026

Assembly Floor

Assembly Standing Committee on Public Safety7MIN
Mar 3, 2026

Assembly Standing Committee on Public Safety

View Older Hearings

News Coverage:

AB 1656: Human trafficking case continuances. | Digital Democracy