Human trafficking is modern-day slavery. It preys on vulnerability, twists consent, and profits from the exploitation of women, men, and children. Communities across America are searching for solutions, and San Diego is now leading with a law that tackles demand, centers survivor support, and strengthens accountability for traffickers and buyers.
A New Approach in the Fight Against Trafficking
On January 1, 2026, San Diego implemented Assembly Bill 379, a law designed to intensify the city’s response to sex trafficking. Rather than focusing solely on those providing sexual services, often victims of coercion and abuse, the law shifts the spotlight to those creating the demand: buyers of commercial sex.
Mayor Todd Gloria, San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl, and District Attorney Summer Stephan have framed this law as part of a victim-oriented paradigm shift, one that recognizes that prosecuting buyers, particularly of minors, is a critical strategy in dismantling the trafficking economy.
Holding Buyers Accountable, Not Survivors
AB 379 reinstates loitering laws that make it a crime to loiter with the intent to purchase sex, a tool San Diego lost when prior legislation repealed similar statutes. By bringing these tools back, local law enforcement gains clearer authority to intervene before a trafficking offense is complete.
Perhaps most importantly, the law emphasizes that exploited individuals are victims, not criminals. This approach aligns with modern anti-trafficking best practices: reducing harm to victims, avoiding unnecessary prosecution of those forced into exploitation, and focusing resources on holding perpetrators and exploiters accountable.
Support for Survivors Comes Front and Center
Assembly Bill 379 isn’t just about criminal enforcement; it also creates a Survivor Support Fund. This dedicated pool of resources is designed to finance grants for community organizations that provide services to survivors of sex trafficking and exploitation.
This dual focus of accountability and support is something survivors and advocates have long demanded. It recognizes that justice isn’t simply about convictions; it’s about healing, stability, and reintegration for survivors after trauma. Effective anti-trafficking work addresses both the crime and the human being behind the statistics.
What This Means for San Diego and Beyond
San Diego’s new legislation reflects an important truth: trafficking is fueled by demand. Without buyers, the market collapses. Laws that hold buyers accountable help reduce that demand and start shifting community norms about exploitation.
But law enforcement tools and survivor funds are only part of the solution. True progress also requires:
- Public awareness and education about trafficking indicators
- Comprehensive services that meet survivors where they are
- Trauma-informed approaches in social services, health care, and legal systems
San Diego is not alone in recognizing that sex trafficking is driven by demand. Across the country, states are beginning to move away from policies that criminalize exploited individuals and toward laws that hold buyers and traffickers accountable.
Pennsylvania is one of those states. While PA does not yet have a city-specific model like San Diego’s Survivor Support Fund, state law already treats the purchase of sex involving a minor as a felony, regardless of whether force or coercion can be proven. This is a critical distinction; it reflects an understanding that minors cannot consent, and that buyers are directly contributing to trafficking by creating demand.
In recent years, Pennsylvania has also expanded its human trafficking statutes, strengthened penalties for traffickers and buyers, and increased funding streams for victim services. These reforms matter, but advocates continue to push for more survivor-centered approaches that mirror what San Diego is now implementing.
A Growing National Trend: Ending Demand and Investing in Survivors
States including California, Pennsylvania, Washington, New York, and Illinois are increasingly adopting what advocates call an “end demand” framework, laws and policies that recognize one core truth: without buyers, trafficking collapses.
Many states now:
- Impose harsher penalties on buyers, especially when minors are involved
- Treat individuals sold for sex as victims, not criminals
- Pair enforcement with funding for survivor services, housing, counseling, and legal support
This shift represents progress but laws alone are not enough. Survivors need access to trauma-informed civil justice, long-term support, and accountability that extends beyond criminal courtrooms.
Ending the Silence, Centering Survivors
Human trafficking can’t be solved by policing alone. Survivors need resources, communities need awareness, and systems need accountability. San Diego’s new law pushes us closer to that vision by holding buyers responsible, empowering law enforcement with tools to intervene earlier, and investing in the aftercare that makes healing possible.
If you or someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, help is available, and there is no shame in reaching out. You aren’t alone.
At Andreozzi + Foote, we’ve seen firsthand how law and advocacy intersect in the lives of survivors. Policy matters, and when it centers on survivors’ dignity and safety, it can be life-changing. San Diego’s law isn’t perfect, and the work ahead is vast, but this victim-centered shift in strategy deserves praise and critical support.