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Assembly committee advances 'Safe Passage for Youth' bill after survivor testimony
Summary
SB 1190 would require state permits, trustline background checks, and bans on blindfolds and overnight takings by private youth transport services; a survivor's account read for the record underscored the bill's intent and the committee gave the measure a do-pass recommendation.
Senator Grove presented SB 1190, the Safe Passage for Youth Act, accepting committee amendments and describing the bill as a response to reports of abusive transport practices that have harmed minors. The bill would require private transport companies to obtain charter-party carrier permits from the CPUC, use TrustLine-registered staff, secure parental consent, train staff on de-escalation and child-abuse reporting, and prohibit blindfolds, hoods and unauthorized restraints. It would also create a 9 p.m.–6 a.m. curfew for transports and authorize the Attorney General to pursue enforcement.
Amanda Simmons, a special-education attorney and survivor advocate, read powerful survivor testimony from Alex Gaeta for the record describing an early-morning forced removal in Menlo Park on 06/23/2019. "I was 14 and terrified... They marched me to a car then to the airport where they showed paperwork saying my parents had signed over temporary legal guardianship to them," the testimony read.
Proponents — including the Youth Law Center and Disability Rights California — urged passage to create baseline protections and oversight for an industry they said has operated without adequate guardrails. Assemblymember Maggie Krell asked to be added as a coauthor. The committee moved SB 1190 (moved by Assemblymember Crowell; seconded by Assemblymember Castillo), issued a "do pass as amended" recommendation, and referred the bill to Appropriations; the committee reported the bill out 9–0 when the roll was closed.
Supporters said the bill strikes a balance between protecting vulnerable youth and providing clear, enforceable standards for transport providers; opponents were not registered at this hearing but proponents indicated willingness to continue technical conversations about implementation.
