An act to amend Section 290 of the Penal Code, relating to sex offenses.
Summary
SB 680 amends California’s Sex Offender Registration Act to add certain convictions for unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor to the list of registerable offenses. Specifically, for offenses committed on or after January 1, 2026, the bill requires registration for 10 years as a tier one offender when the minor is more than three years younger than the offender, or, if the offender was 21 or older, when the minor is under 16. The bill preserves an existing age-gap exception: registration is not required if the offender was not more than 10 years older than the minor and that offense is the only one requiring registration.
Impact
The bill expands Penal Code Section 290 by broadening the categories of sex offenses that trigger mandatory registration and by tying the new requirement to the tier-one, 10-year registration period. It affects people convicted of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor under the specified age-difference thresholds, while leaving intact the court’s separate discretionary authority to order registration in some cases. The bill also states that it creates a state-mandated local program but provides that no reimbursement is required, and it applies prospectively to offenses on or after January 1, 2026.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have broad legislative support and moved through the process with strong vote margins, including unanimous or near-unanimous committee votes and overwhelming floor approval in both houses. The final enactment as Chapter 780 indicates it was ultimately signed into law. The available voting history suggests the measure was generally viewed favorably as a public-safety and sex-offender-registration policy change.
Contention
The main policy issue is the scope of mandatory registration for consensual or age-gap unlawful sexual intercourse cases involving minors, especially where the offender is relatively close in age to the minor. Supporters likely viewed the bill as closing a gap by ensuring registration for more serious age-difference cases, while the retained 10-year age-gap exemption suggests an effort to avoid sweeping in lower-risk relationships. The bill’s fiscal and local-program implications were noted in the digest, but the vote history shows little recorded opposition, with only one no vote on Senate third reading and otherwise strong support.
To amend sections 2929.01, 2929.14, 2967.01, 2967.13, and 2967.132 and to enact section 2941.1427 of the Revised Code to enact the Felony Accountability for Frequent Offenders Act to create a specification for a habitual felony offender.
Payment rates established for certain substance use disorder treatment services, and vendor eligibility recodified for payments from the behavioral health fund.
Cover Outstanding Vulnerable Expansion-eligible Residents Now Act or the COVER Now Act This bill establishes a demonstration program to allow local governments to provide health benefits to the Medicaid expansion population in states that have not expanded Medicaid. Under the program, local governments may provide coverage for individuals who are newly eligible for Medicaid under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (i.e., the Medicaid expansion population) for a maximum of 10 years, or until their respective states expand Medicaid. The bill provides a 100% federal matching rate for the first three years of program participation. The bill prohibits states from taking certain actions against participating localities, such as withholding funding, increasing taxes, or restricting provider participation. States that violate these requirements are subject to certain funding penalties.