(SACRAMENTO, CA) – Assemblymember Dr. Jasmeet Bains today announced that two critical pieces of her sweeping "Lords of Bakersfield" legislative package were approved by the State Assembly. Both bills target and dismantle the legal mechanisms allowing wealthy and politically connected sexual predators to secure special treatment and escape accountability.
Assembly Bill 2273, known as the SCRIVNER Act stems from the ongoing criminal case against former Kern County Supervisor Zachary Scrivner. The bill prevents prosecutors from making backroom deals to water down charges without offering an explanation. Crucially, it mandates that child molestation charges against elected officials be filed within 30 days.
Addressing the Assembly, Dr. Bains spoke against the abuse of mental health diversion laws warning, "our good intentions are not good enough when predators walk free."
Assembly Bill 2274, the Epstein Loophole Act, prohibits prosecutors from keeping the identities of human traffickers and child molesters secret. The bill is a direct response to the 2008 nonprosecution agreement that granted blanket immunity to Jeffrey Epstein and an undefined network of co-conspirators.
Noting that a 2020 federal investigation dismissed the egregious 2008 agreement as an exercise of "poor judgment," Dr. Bains was uncompromising in her floor presentation.
"This bill ensures that human traffickers and their clients stand accused of their crimes because poor judgement is not an excuse to allow predators to walk free," she argued.
Both AB 2273 and AB 2274 passed the Assembly Floor and will now advance to the State Senate for consideration.
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Dr. Jasmeet Bains represents the 35th Assembly District in Kern County, including the cities of Bakersfield, Delano, Wasco, Arvin, Shafter, and McFarland.