California · Penal Code

PEN §294: (a) Upon conviction of any person for a violation of Section 273a, 273d, 288.

Civil

What this law says, in plain English

This statute allows courts to impose additional restitution fines (up to $5,000 for felonies or $1,000 for misdemeanors) on persons convicted of child abuse or sex offenses, with funds directed to child abuse prevention programs.

Read the full statutory text
(a) Upon conviction of any person for a violation of Section 273a, 273d, 288.5, 311.2, 311.3, or 647.6, the court may, in addition to any other penalty or restitution fine imposed, order the defendant to pay a restitution fine based on the defendant’s ability to pay not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000), upon a felony conviction, or one thousand dollars ($1,000), upon a misdemeanor conviction, to be deposited in the Restitution Fund to be transferred to the county children’s trust fund for the purposes of child abuse prevention. (b) Upon conviction of any person for a violation of Section 261, 264.1, 285, 286, 287, or 289 or former Section 288a, where the violation is with a minor under the age of 14 years, the court may, in addition to any other penalty or restitution fine imposed, order the defendant to pay a restitution fine based on the defendant’s ability to pay not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000), upon a felony conviction, or one thousand dollars ($1,000), upon a misdemeanor conviction, to be deposited in the Restitution Fund to be transferred to the county children’s trust fund for the purpose of child abuse prevention. (c) If the perpetrator is a member of the immediate family of the victim, the court shall consider in its decision to impose a fine under this section any hardship that may impact the victim from the imposition of the fine. (d) If the court orders a fine to be imposed pursuant to this section, the actual administrative cost of collecting that fine, not to exceed 2 percent of the total amount paid, may be paid into the general fund of the county treasury for the use and benefit of the county.

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.