California Enacts New Campus Safety and Survivor Protections
New laws require California colleges to implement human trafficking training, strengthen evidence privacy and enforce protective orders.
- By Jesse Jacobs
- October 05, 2026
California higher education institutions face new mandates to combat human trafficking, handle sexually explicit evidence and protect crime victims under a series of measures signed into law.
Gov. Gavin Newsom enacted the public safety legislative package, which focuses heavily on postsecondary environments following heightened attention on sexual violence and student safety.
A central component of the package, Assembly Bill 1845, targets human trafficking and sexual exploitation within higher education communities. The law requires California postsecondary institutions to adopt formal policies and staff training to help campus personnel identify, report and prevent human trafficking. Advocates noted that college students remain particularly vulnerable to exploitation due to factors such as housing instability and financial insecurity.
In addition to campus training requirements, Senate Bill 1056 establishes strict privacy standards for handling sexually explicit images and recordings introduced as evidence in criminal proceedings. The measure aims to prevent the unnecessary dissemination, copying or retention of sensitive evidence, protecting sexual assault survivors from additional trauma during legal proceedings.
The legislative package also enhances enforcement mechanisms for campus and local law enforcement regarding criminal protective orders. Under the new laws, authorities have expanded tools to hold individuals accountable for violating stay-away and restraining orders related to stalking, domestic violence and sexual assault.
Beyond campus-specific measures, the package addresses broader safety concerns affecting educational environments and surrounding municipalities. These include updated equipment and speed limit regulations for electric bicycles on multiuse paths, extended probation options for registered sex offenders who fail to complete required rehabilitation programming and expanded remote access options for workplace violence restraining order proceedings.