A controversial bill to repeal a provision of California law that prohibits loitering with the intent to sell sex is on its way to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk, nine months after it passed the Legislature and deeply divided Democrats, sex workers and trafficking survivors along the way.

Senate Bill 357 would rescind the misdemeanor law against loitering in public for the purpose of engaging in prostitution. Advocates for the measure argued that law enforcement uses California’s loitering rules to disproportionately target Black, brown and transgender Californians, and that the practice leads to unsafe conditions for workers. They also contend that loitering arrests make it difficult for people to find housing and jobs due to criminal records, and that police use subjective criteria when pursuing an arrest, such as the type of clothing or makeup a person wears.

Opponents said SB 357 would remove a crucial tool to stop sex trafficking, especially of children, and would hamstring victim outreach efforts.

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