Criminal Justice

(1) Existing law establishes the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) to, among other functions, certify the eligibility of those persons appointed as peace officers throughout the state. Existing law authorizes POST, as specified, to decertify a certified peace officer for engaging in serious misconduct, as specified. Existing law requires any agency that employs peace officers to, within 10 days, notify POST of specified occurrences including any complaint, charge, or allegation of serious misconduct by a peace officer employed by that agency and the final disposition of any investigation into that complaint, charge, or allegation, regardless of the discipline actually imposed. Existing law provides that each law enforcement agency shall be responsible for the completion of an investigation into any allegation of serious misconduct by an officer, regardless of the officer's employment status. Existing law establishes the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS) within the Department of Justice to facilitate the exchange and dissemination of information between law enforcement agencies in the state. This bill would require POST employees whose job duties require access to criminal offender record information, state summary criminal history information, or information obtained from CLETS to undergo a fingerprint-based state and national criminal history background check, as specified. (2) Existing law requires the Department of Justice to maintain state summary criminal history information, as defined, and to furnish this information to various state and local government officers, officials, and other prescribed entities, if needed in the course of their duties. Existing law makes it a crime for a person authorized by law to receive state summary criminal history information to knowingly furnish that information to a person who is not authorized to receive it. This bill would authorize the commission and all persons for whom background checks have been completed and their duties require access to inspect or duplicate any information derived from CLETS. The bill would additionally authorize the commission and the Peace Officer Standards Accountability Division to inspect and duplicate any criminal history information, criminal offender record information, or criminal justice information, or any other sensitive, confidential or privileged information if the commission determines that the information is needed in the course of the commission's duties. By expanding the scope of the crime of unlawful disclosure of state summary criminal history information, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. (4) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Existing law, the Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA) , an initiative measure, authorizes a person who obtains a state license under AUMA to engage in commercial adult-use cannabis activity pursuant to that license and applicable local ordinances. The Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA) , among other things, consolidates the licensure and regulation of commercial medicinal and adult-use cannabis activities. Existing law establishes the California Cannabis Tax Fund as a continuously appropriated fund consisting of specified taxes, interest, penalties, and other amounts related to commercial cannabis activity. Each fiscal year, AUMA requires the Controller to make specified disbursements from the fund, including, through the 2022–23 fiscal year, reasonable costs incurred by the Department of Cannabis Control for implementing, administering, and enforcing MAUCRSA. This bill would require the Controller to make a disbursement from the fund for reasonable costs incurred by the Department of Cannabis Control for maintaining and operating the track and trace program and for conducting civil or criminal enforcement against unauthorized commercial cannabis activity, as specified. By requiring moneys in the California Cannabis Tax Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, to be used for a new purpose, the bill would make an appropriation. AUMA also requires the Controller to make a disbursement from the fund to the Board of State and Community Corrections for making grants to local governments to assist with law enforcement, fire protection, or other local programs addressing public health and safety associated with the implementation of AUMA. AUMA prohibits the board from making grants to local governments that ban both indoor and outdoor commercial cannabis cultivation, or ban retail sale of cannabis or cannabis products. This bill would repeal that prohibition, thereby authorizing the Board of State and Community Corrections to make grants to local governments that ban both indoor and outdoor commercial cannabis cultivation or ban retail sale of cannabis or cannabis products. In order to be eligible for a grant, the bill would require a local government either to allow the retail sale of cannabis in storefronts or, for jurisdictions with a population of 10,000 residents or less, to allow cannabis delivery, as specified. The bill would require the board to prioritize grant awards for local governments whose grant application includes illicit cannabis enforcement, and would authorize the board to award grants both competitively and based on a formula to provide consistent and ongoing funding for local governments, as provided. AUMA authorizes the Legislature to amend its provisions with a 23 vote of both houses to further its purposes and intent, except as specified. This bill would declare that its provisions further the purposes and intent of AUMA. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as a bill providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill.

(1) Existing law requires the Judicial Council to sponsor a pilot program for 2 fiscal years to study whether increases in juror compensation and mileage reimbursement rates increase juror diversity and participation. Existing law requires the Judicial Council to provide a report to the Legislature describing the findings of the pilot program and providing information for promoting juror diversity by September 1, 2026. Existing law repeals these provisions on January 1, 2027. This bill would repeal these provisions. (2) Existing law requires the Administrative Office of the Courts, an obsolete entity, to perform specified functions. Under existing law, any reference to the Administrative Office of the Courts means the Judicial Council. This bill would revise references to the Administrative Office of the Courts to the Judicial Council. (3) Existing law requires the Judicial Council to annually report to the Department of Finance, the Legislature, and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee the total amount of revenue collected in the prior fiscal year, by each court and county, from criminal fines, fees, forfeitures, penalties, restitution fines, and assessments related to infractions, misdemeanors, and felonies, as specified. This bill would require the Judicial Council to annually, on or before February 1, provide a report to the Legislature on the operations of each trial court that includes specified operational and budgetary metrics for the prior fiscal year, including, among others, backlogs and staff vacancies. (4) Existing law requires the Judicial Council to report all approved allocations and reimbursements to trial courts in each fiscal year, as specified, on or before September 30 following the close of each fiscal year. This bill would instead require the report to be submitted on or before February 1 each year. (5) Existing law authorizes the Judicial Council to sell specific courthouses at fair market value and upon the terms and conditions the Judicial Council deems in the best interests of the state. This bill would authorize the Judicial Council to sell additional specified courthouses. (6) Existing law requires the Judicial Council to collect and maintain statistics, and to publish them at least on a yearly basis, about the compliance of the superior court of each county and each branch court with the standards of timely disposition, as specified. Existing law requires, on or before November 1, 2007, the Judicial Council to adopt, and report to the Legislature annually thereafter, judicial administration standards and measures that promote the fair and efficient administration of justice, as specified. Existing law requires the Judicial Council to present an annual report to the Legislature on the use of the State Trial Court Improvement and Modernization Fund, with appropriate recommendations. This bill would delete these requirements for the Judicial Council and make a conforming change. (7) This bill would appropriate $4,690,000 from the General Fund to the State Court Facilities Construction Fund to provide a one-time backfill. (8) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as a bill providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill.

Senate Concurrent Resolution 36 designates April 6-12, 2025, as Crime Victims' Rights Week. This measure formally recognizes the week to acknowledge the importance of crime victims' rights.