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Committee approves bill criminalizing sexual contact by clergy in therapeutic settings
Summary
AB 17 39 would extend criminal prohibitions on sexual contact to clergy who provide therapeutic counseling. Survivors and researchers testified in support; the committee passed the bill as amended to appropriations.
The committee voted to pass AB 17 39 as amended to the Appropriations Committee. The bill would make it a crime for a member of the clergy to engage in sexual contact with a current or former counselee when the clergy member is providing therapeutic counseling, aligning those rules with existing law that covers licensed therapists.
Assemblymember Ward, the author, said the bill is narrowly tailored to apply only when clergy are providing therapeutic services and does not regulate religious doctrine. Survivors and subject‑matter experts described personal experiences of exploitation and urged the committee to close the statutory gap. "These relationships involve trust in a legitimate authority figure and the vulnerability of those they serve," a neuroscientist and survivor testified.
Several members supported the bill and offered to coauthor it; committee members emphasized prevention and parity with other helping professions. With no primary witnesses in opposition, the committee recorded a roll‑call and moved the measure to Appropriations as amended.
Outcome and next steps: AB 17 39 passed the Business and Professions Committee as amended and will go to Appropriations; sponsors said they will continue engagement with stakeholders as the bill advances.
