Dr. Bains’ SCRIVNER and Epstein Loophole Bills Approved by Public Safety Committee

• Adam Capper
• (916) 319-2035
• [email protected]

(SACRAMENTO, CA) April 21, 2026 - Assemblymember Dr. Jasmeet Bains today announced that two critical pieces of her sweeping "Lords of Bakersfield" legislative package passed the Assembly Public Safety Committee with unanimous, bipartisan approval. Introduced in response to severe, high-profile miscarriages of justice, this package aggressively targets the systemic failures and legal loopholes that have allowed politically connected sexual predators to evade accountability.

"For far too long, a two-tiered justice system has allowed the wealthy and the politically connected to play by different rules, shielding monsters who abuse children with absolute immunity," said Dr. Bains. "We are watching mental health diversion be weaponized to protect abusers, while gaping loopholes shelter the accomplices of heinous predators. The bipartisan support for these bills sends a definitive message that no amount of money, status, or political influence will ever buy a get-out-of-jail-free card."

Assembly Bill 2273, known as the SCRIVNER Act stems from the ongoing criminal case against former Kern County Supervisor Zachary Scrivner. The bill ensures that prosecutors can no longer make backroom deals to downcharge politically connected elites without explanation and public review. The bill also mandates that formal charges must be brought within thirty days when an investigation supports bringing child molestation charges against an elected official.

Assembly Bill 2274, the Epstein Loophole Act, eliminates the egregious legal precedent set in 2008 when federal prosecutors granted sweeping, blanket immunity to Jeffrey Epstein and an undefined network of his co-conspirators. The bill strictly prohibits prosecutors from granting immunity to unnamed individuals involved in the exploitation of minors. To ensure absolute transparency and accountability, the bill requires prosecutors to explicitly name anyone receiving immunity in a nonprosecution agreement. It further mandates that all such agreements must be rigorously reviewed and approved by a judge, while guaranteeing victims the right to receive notice and an opportunity to be heard in a formal hearing. By establishing a clear and unambiguous statute, the state of California is acting decisively to make these secret immunity agreements entirely illegal.

"Politicians and their elite friends are not all-powerful, and they are absolutely not above the law," Dr. Bains concluded. "This package guarantees that those who prey on children, and the enablers who protect them, will be held accountable."

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Dr. Jasmeet Bains represents the 35^th Assembly District in Kern County, including the cities of Bakersfield, Delano, Wasco, Arvin, Shafter, and McFarland.