SAN DIEGO -- Signatures from thousands of Chelsea’s Law supporters made their way to Sacramento Monday, with Brent and Kelly King helping deliver the signatures to Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg at Lindbergh Field.

Chelsea King's younger brother, Tyler, and her father carried the nearly 40,000 into the airport. Kelly King and dozens of supporters followed carrying sunflowers.

"There is no greater cause, no greater reason to do something than to protect our children and to do it in a way that is effective and powerful that will make a huge difference," said Kelly King.

In the past 10 days the number of San Diegans who signed petitions supporting Chelsea’s Law, also known as Assembly Bill 1844, has increased to more than 38,000. The original goal was 20,000.

"The whole goal of Chelsea's Law is to get the worst of the worst put away for life without parole, and we have almost 40,000 signatures when we tried to get 20,000," said Brent King.

The Kings are confident the measure named after their murdered daughter will make that difference. AB 1844 calls for tougher laws against sexually violent predators, most notably the option for a life sentence and lifetime GPS monitoring for sexual predators of children.

The bill, which passed the State Assembly earlier this month, will go before the Senate Public Safety Committee Tuesday.

The committee is chaired by Sen. Mark Leno, who is known for opposing increase in prison sentences because of added cost to the state.

"[Assemblyman] Nathan Fletcher and Senator Leno are working closely. We had a very productive conversation with Senator Leno on Friday, Kelly and I did, and they're working toward shaping Chelsea's Law. Hopefully it will come out the way we want to see it," said Brent King.

The Kings recently announced they were moving back to Napervill, Ill., for the sake of their son, but they said their life's work remains in San Diego.

"I'm a native San Diegan, Chelsea is a native San Diegan; our roots are here," said Brent King.

The Kings said once they move back to Illinois they plan to return to San Diego about once a month to continue their work with Chelsea's Light.

The California Department of Corrections estimated the cost of Chelsea's Law would reach $54 million a year by 2030.

10News tried to contact Leno Monday, but calls were not returned.