SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria’s public safety bill package passed the Assembly and now moves to the Senate. The two bills will help create a safer environment for patients in California hospitals.
“AB 848 is a step forward in putting our patient’s safety first when they enter a hospital. This bill brings stronger sentencing in cases of felony sexual battery,” Soria said. “This will bring to light the injustices that are taking place when felony sexual battery is committed by a hospital employee against a patient. We need to send a message to anyone that would seek to abuse the trust placed in them as medical professionals, that this type of behavior will not be tolerated.”
California law already recognizes that the significant power imbalance between an employer and an employee merits aggravated sentencing in cases of felony sexual battery, yet there is no similar aggravating factor for a medical professional sexually battering their patients.
AB 848 recognizes the uniquely vulnerable nature of hospital patients and the serious nature of sexual abuse committed against them—by codifying as an aggravating factor when a hospital employee sexually batters a hospital patient in the sentencing of felony sexual battery.
“Assemblywoman Soria’s bill allows just sentencing for those medical professionals who betray the trust of their patients for their own sexual gratification,” said Kim Stone, Legislative Representative for the California District Attorneys Association. “They should be held accountable for the harm they have inflicted on their victims.”
The second bill, the Medical Safety Chaperone Act (AB 849), will require healthcare facilities that offer ultrasounds to notify and provide patients with medical chaperones before conducting an ultrasound on a sensitive area of a patient. It will also establish new standards for chaperone training, to ensure that hospital staff are educated on how to identify non-standard behavior and protect patient safety.
“We should all recognize that when you’re under the care of medical professionals, when you’re at a hospital, you should feel safe,” Soria said. “That’s why we’re focusing on prevention measures and adequate training for medical chaperones, to ensure patients are protected.”
AB 849’s provisions protect the physical and psychological safety of patients in vulnerable situations while enhancing the trust and transparency that is crucial to the patient-provider relationship.
“Five years ago, a well-trained chaperone could have protected me from being sexually assaulted by an ultrasound technician at the Los Banos hospital,” said survivor Celi Gonzalez. “Thanks to the support of Assemblywoman Soria and the Medical Safety Chaperone Act, women like me in the future might have that ally in the room with them. On behalf of myself and my fellow survivors, we are so grateful for her belief in us and her commitment to make it harder for men like him to hurt women like us.”
Both AB 848 and AB 849 are now in the Senate. For the latest information on our legislative bill package, please visit our website and social media accounts.
Facebook: @Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria
Instagram: @asmesmeraldasoria
BlueSky: @esmeraldasoria.bsky.social
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Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria represents the 27th Assembly District, which includes communities in Fresno, Madera, and Merced counties.