A bill by Assemblyman Anthony Portantino intended to discourage award-show party crashers passed a key California Senate committee on Tuesday.
Assembly Bill 451 would increase penalties for those crashing private events such as the Academy Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards, charging intruders up to $2,000 and imposing jail sentences of up to six months.
The Senate Public Safety Committee on Tuesday approved the measure, which Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge) said would close legal loopholes that allowed party crashers to avoid prosecution for trespassing. The legislation would impose a $1,000 fine for first-time crashers and $2,000 for a second offense.
Portantino spokeswoman Wendy Gordon said their office was approached by the Screen Actors Guild, whose award show in recent years has been plagued with gate crashers. The bill, Portantino said, sends a clear message: “If you crash a private event, it’s going to cost you.”
Laura Ritchie, legal counsel for the Screen Actors Guild, testified before the committee this week that in the age of the Internet and reality television, there are ever-increasing cases of people getting in or attempting to access the types of events.
“And, despite extensive security measures, there are still those who try to circumvent those measures to gain access,” Ritchie said.