BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 2058
                                                                  Page  1


          ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
          AB 2058 (Cohn)
          As Amended May 26, 2006
          Majority vote 

           PUBLIC SAFETY       5-0         APPROPRIATIONS                  
                                                       (vote not  
          available)
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          |Ayes:|Leno, La Suer, Cohn,      |     |                          |
          |     |Dymally, Spitzer          |     |                          |
          |-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
          |     |                          |     |                          |
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           SUMMARY  :  Expands existing provisions of law that make it an  
          alternate felony/misdemeanor for a person to commit any lewd and  
          lascivious act upon a minor who is 14 or 15 years of age to  
          include minors who are 16 or 17 years of age, and states that  
          this provision shall not preclude prosecution and punishment  
          under other provision of law that provides for a greater  
          penalty.    

           EXISTING LAW  :

          1)Provides that any person 21 years of age or older who engages  
            in an act of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor who is  
            16 years of age or younger is guilty of either a misdemeanor  
            or a felony, and shall be punished by imprisonment in a county  
            jail not exceeding one year, or by imprisonment in the state  
            prison for two, three, or four years. 

          2)Provides that any person who engages in an act of unlawful  
            sexual intercourse with a minor who is more than three years  
            younger than the perpetrator is guilty of a misdemeanor or  
            felony punishable by imprisonment in the county jail not to  
            exceed one year or by imprisonment in the state prison for 16  
            months, 2 or 3 years. 

          3)Provides that any person who engages in an act of unlawful  
            sexual intercourse with a minor who is more than three years  
            younger than the perpetrator is guilty of a misdemeanor. 

          4)Provides that any person who commits any lewd or lascivious  
            act upon a child under the age of 14 with the intent to arouse  








                                                                  AB 2058
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            the sexual passions of that person is guilty of a felony,  
            punishable by three, six, or eight years in the state prison. 

          5)Provides that any person who commits any lewd or lascivious  
            act upon a child 14 or 15 years of age with the intent to  
            arouse the sexual passions of that person and where that  
            person is at least 10 years older than the child is guilty of  
            a public offense punishable by one, two, or three years in  
            prison, or by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than  
            one year. 

          6)States that any person who lives with or has recurring access  
            to a child and engages in three or more acts of substantial  
            sexual conduct, or commits three or more acts of lewd and  
            lascivious conduct with a child under the age of 14 over a  
            period of at least three months time, is guilty of the felony  
            of continuous sexual abuse of a child, punishable by 6, 12, or  
            16 years in the state prison. 

          7)Provides that any person who commits lewd and lascivious acts  
            by use of force, violence, or fear of immediate and unlawful  
            bodily injury shall be punished by imprisonment in state  
            prison for three, six, or eight years. 

          8)Provides that any person who commits rape, rape by foreign  
            object, forcible sodomy, forcible oral copulation, or forcible  
            sexual penetration with a child who is under 14 years of age  
            and is 10 or more years younger than the person shall be  
            punished by imprisonment in state prison for 15-years-to-life.  


          9)Provides that any person who annoys or molests a child under  
            the age of 18 shall be punished by imprisonment in the county  
            jail not to exceed one year; by a fine not to exceed $1,000;  
            or by both imprisonment and a fine. 

          10)Provides that any person who annoys or molests a child under  
            the age of 18, after having entered a dwelling house without  
            consent, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison  
            for 16 months, 2 or 3 years, or by imprisonment in the county  
            jail not to exceed one year. 

          11)Makes a second or subsequent conviction for annoying or  
            molesting a child under the age of 18 punishable by  








                                                                  AB 2058
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            imprisonment in the state prison for 16 months, 2 or 3 years. 

          12)Provides that any person who annoys or molests a child under  
            the age of 18 after a previous felony conviction for the same  
            offense, lewd and lascivious acts on a child, or a felony  
            conviction for employing a minor to perform prohibited acts is  
            punishable by two, four, or six years in the state prison. 

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  According to the Assembly Appropriations  
          Committee analysis, "Significant annual General Fund costs,  
          potentially in the range of $200,000, for increased state prison  
          commitments.  In 2004-05, 86 persons were committed to state  
          prison for committing a lewd or lascivious act on a 14 or 15  
          -year-old child when the offender was more than 10 years older  
          than the victim.  If this bill, by adding 16 and 17-year-olds to  
          a similar offense, results in six additional prison commitments,  
          annual costs would exceed $200,000."

           COMMENTS  :  According to the author, "There are many individuals  
          that prey upon young teenagers.  These individuals have hundreds  
          of victims and yet do not face more than county jail time upon  
          conviction.  This bill protects minors age 16 and 17 by ensuring  
          that those who commit lewd and lascivious acts upon them are  
          appropriately convicted as felons."

           
          Analysis Prepared by  :    Gregory Pagan / PUB. S. / (916)  
          319-3744 




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