A bill that would increase penalties for child sex buyers in California could die before getting a vote amid concerns from state finance officials over the costs of housing additional prison inmates. California lawmakers last week placed Senate Bill 1414 on 'suspense file,' a list of bills that are expected to cost the state a significant amount of money, during an Aug. 7 meeting. The bill will either advance or be killed without public discussion in a special Thursday hearing.
'We also note that similar legislation that expands the list of individuals required to register as sex offenders has estimated to result in costs to the Department of Justice in the hundreds of thousands of dollars,' said Yan. Grove and other lawmakers have dismissed financial concerns, arguing the potential cost pales in comparison to combating a significant problem across the state.