Shannon Groves, a republican, introduced the bill to make it a straight up felony to human sex traffic all children under 18.

Scott Wiener is the one who gutted the bill to this: From https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240sb1414:

"This bill would make this offense applicable only to a defendant who is 18 years of age or older at the time of the offense. The bill would, if the person solicited was under 16 years of age...make the offense punishable as a wobbler by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than 1 year and a fine not to exceed $10,000 or by imprisonment in the county jail for 16 months or 2 or 3 years. For a 2nd or subsequent offense under those conditions, the bill would require that the offense be punishable as a felony by imprisonment in the county jail for 16 months or 2 or 3 years."

So no punishment if a 17 year old buys an infant repeatedly. No punishment if the child purchased was 16 or 17. Its only a felony if the purchaser gets caught purchasing a child 15 or under a second time. It may be better than existing law, but this is still not good. :(

As an FYI: Shannon Groves was aware that Wiener is working unlawfully without an oath and she could have had his changes stricken. But she didn't, so I think she's in on it: https://gwsandiego.net/blog/?p=2822