Crime: transnational repression.

Existing law provides that no person shall, whether or not acting under color of law, by force or threat of force, willfully injure, intimidate, interfere with, oppress, or threaten any other person in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to them by the California Constitution or laws of this state or by the United States Constitution or laws of the United States because of the other person's race, religion, national origin, disability, gender, or sexual orientation, or because they perceive that the other person has one or more of those characteristics. This bill would state that it is the policy of the state to protect individuals and organizations against transnational repression and would define that term to mean the actions of a foreign government or agents of a foreign government involving the transgression of national borders in order to intimidate, silence, coerce, harass, or harm members of diaspora and exile communities or organizations that advocate for individuals in diaspora and exile communities in order to prevent their exercise of their human rights, as defined. The bill would specify that it is the policy of the state to pursue criminal prosecutions against those who engage in transnational repression and to provide support services to victims who are targeted by transnational repression, among other things. Under existing law, the California Specialized Training Institute is overseen by the Office of Emergency Services and is required to assist the Governor in providing training to state agencies, cities, and counties in their planning and preparation for natural and man-made disasters. Existing law also establishes the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training to adopt and amend rules establishing and upholding minimum standards relating to training for peace officers. This bill would require the Office of Emergency Services through the California Specialized Training Institute and in cooperation with the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, on or before July 1, 2026, to develop a transnational repression recognition and response training that would include how to identify different tactics of transnational repression and best practices for appropriate local and state law enforcement prevention, reporting, and response tactics, among others.