Riverside County prosecutors can now pursue felony charges when someone breaks into a home and commits sexual battery.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1741 on Sunday, Sept. 20. The Riverside County District Attorney's Office, which sponsored the legislation, announced the new law Monday, Sept. 21, calling it a significant step for victims.

The legislation, dubbed the "Safe at Home Act," amends California Penal Code Section 243.4. It makes sexual battery committed during an unlawful entry into an inhabited home a "wobbler." That legal term means prosecutors can charge the offense as a felony or a misdemeanor, depending on the circumstances.

Before the change, someone who broke into a residence and subjected a victim to non-consensual sexual contact often faced only misdemeanor sexual battery charges. The law treated those cases similarly to lower-level battery offenses in public spaces, unless specific aggravating circumstances were present.

That gap is now closed.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Ivy Fitzpatrick, the Riverside County DA's legislative representative, said the office pushed for the bill after seeing the limitation play out in real cases.

"Our office has seen firsthand the consequences of the current legal limitations," Fitzpatrick said in the office's announcement. She added that victims deserve to know the law recognizes the full severity of what happened to them.

Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco, D-Downey, introduced the bill on Feb. 5. It was chaptered by the Secretary of State on Sept. 20 as Chapter 374, Statutes of 2026. The chaptered text does not specify whether the law takes effect immediately or on Jan. 1, 2027.

The new law gives district attorneys across California more flexibility to seek felony convictions and prison sentences in cases where someone enters a home without consent and commits sexual battery inside.

Riverside County, which includes Murrieta, Temecula and surrounding communities, is home to the DA's office that sponsored the legislation. Fitzpatrick's office praised Newsom for signing the measure and thanked Pacheco for carrying it through the state Legislature.

Residents who want to report a crime or seek victim services can contact the Riverside County District Attorney's Office or the Murrieta Police Department's non-emergency line.