Existing law requires that the terms of probation granted to a person who has been convicted of domestic violence include, among other things, successful completion of a batterer's program or, if a batterer's program is not available, another appropriate counseling program, as specified. Existing law requires the probation department to design and implement an approval and renewal process for batterer's programs and prescribes the requirements of a batterer's program. Existing law, until July 1, 2026, authorizes the Counties of Napa, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Yolo to offer an alternative program for individuals convicted of domestic violence if the program meets specified conditions. This bill would additionally authorize the County of Sacramento to offer an alternative program for individuals convicted of domestic violence. The bill would extend the repeal date of these provisions to July 1, 2030. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law authorizes a court to grant pretrial diversion to a defendant suffering from a mental disorder, on an accusatory pleading alleging the commission of a misdemeanor or felony offense, in order to allow the defendant to undergo mental health treatment. Existing law provides that a defendant is eligible for diversion if they have been diagnosed with certain mental disorders and the court finds that the mental disorder was a significant factor in the commission of the charged offense, unless there is clear and convincing evidence that the disorder was not a motivating, causal, or contributing factor to the defendant's involvement in the alleged offense. Existing law prohibits defendants charged with specified offenses, including murder, from being placed in this diversion program. This bill would require that the diagnosis or rediagnosis with a mental disorder be within 5 years before the alleged offense. Existing law makes a defendant suitable for this diversion program if, among other criteria, a qualified mental health expert opines that the defendant's symptoms of the mental disorder that caused, contributed to, or motivated the criminal behavior, would respond to mental health treatment and the defendant will not pose an unreasonable risk of danger to public safety if treated in the community, as specified. The bill would revise that standard and instead require the court to find that the defendant will not pose a substantial and undue risk to the physical safety of another person if treated in the community. The bill would require the mental health expert's opinion to include that the proposed mental health diversion plan is clinically appropriate to address the symptoms of the defendant's mental disorder, as specified. The bill would require the court to state the reasons for denial on the record.
Existing law requires the Board of Parole Hearings to conduct a youth offender parole hearing for offenders sentenced to state prison who committed specified crimes when they were under 25 years of age. Existing law makes a person who was convicted of a controlling offense that was committed when the person was under 18 years of age and for which the sentence is life without the possibility of parole eligible for release on parole at a youth offender hearing by the board during the person's 25th year of incarceration. Existing law specifies that these provisions do not alter the rights of a victim at a parole hearing. Under existing law, a murder perpetrated by specified means or under certain circumstances is defined as murder of the first degree. Existing law, as added by Proposition 7, an initiative measure approved by the voters at the November 7, 1978, statewide general election, requires that a person convicted of first-degree murder be subject to death or confinement in prison for a term of life without the possibility of parole in any case in which specified special circumstances are charged and found to be true. Proposition 7 does not provide for amendment by the Legislature. This bill, the Youth Rehabilitation and Opportunity Act, would instead make a person who was convicted of a controlling offense that was committed when the person was 25 years of age or younger and for which they were sentenced to life without the possibility of parole eligible for parole after their 25th year of incarceration, except as specified. The bill would require the board to complete, by January 1, 2028, all hearings for individuals who are or will be entitled to have their parole suitability considered at a youth offender parole hearing by these provisions, as specified.
This bill designates the week of April 19 to April 25, 2026, as Crime Victims' Rights Week. The primary purpose is to formally recognize and highlight the rights and needs of individuals who have been affected by crime. It does not create new laws or alter existing legal procedures but serves as a commemorative resolution to raise awareness during a specific time period.
Existing law requires the Attorney General to establish and maintain various databases and information centers relating to the identification, apprehension, and prevention of crimes, including the Violent Crime Information Center and the Automated Firearms System, among others. Existing law requires a business that controls the collection of a consumer's personal information to delete that information upon the request of the consumer and provides for administrative penalties if the business fails to act on the consumer's request. This bill would, beginning January 1, 2029, require the Department of Justice to establish the Nonconsensual Intimate Image Clearinghouse to allow individuals who were exploited in California to submit a request for the removal of nonconsensual intimate images from covered platforms. The bill would define nonconsensual intimate images to include an authentic image depicting a person nude or engaging in sexual conduct distributed without consent or an image digitally altered or generated by artificial intelligence realistically depicting a person nude or engaged in sexual conduct without consent. The bill would require the department to transmit verified identifiers of images to covered platforms and require those platforms to remove verified matches within 48 hours of receipt and to prevent the images from being uploaded again. The bill would require the department to enforce these provisions and would impose civil penalties for violations. The bill would require a peace officer in the investigation of a specified offense to advise a victim that they may make a request to the clearinghouse pursuant to these provisions and would require a peace officer to provide certain information to the clearinghouse, as specified. By increasing duties for peace officers, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Existing law, the California Street Terrorism Enforcement and Prevention Act (act) , provides specified punishments for certain crimes committed for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with a criminal street gang, as specified. The act defines a "shared gang database" as a database accessed by a law enforcement agency that designates a person as a gang member or associate, or includes or points to information, including, but not limited to, fact-based or uncorroborated information, that reflects a designation of that person as a gang member or associate that is accessed by an agency or person outside of the agency that created the records that populate the database. Existing law requires the Department of Justice to regulate and oversee any shared gang databases in which California law enforcement agencies, participate, as specified. This bill would remove the term "shared gang database" and make the provisions under the act applicable to all gang databases, regardless of whether a gang database is accessed by an agency or person outside of the agency that created the database. The bill would make specified regulations applicable to all gang databases beginning on January 1, 2027.
Existing law establishes various programs to prevent crime, coordinate the efforts of law enforcement, and collect and analyze criminal statistics. Existing law specifically establishes a regional property crimes task force to assist local law enforcement and railroad police in counties identified as having elevated levels of property crime, including, but not limited to, organized retail theft, cargo theft, vehicle burglary, and theft of vehicle parts and accessories. Under existing law, the Attorney General is the chief law officer of the state and the head of the Department of Justice. This bill would require the Attorney General to establish the California Cargo Theft Task Force to combat crimes involving the theft, diversion, embezzlement, unlawful taking, or fraudulent acquisition of cargo or freight. The bill would prescribe the membership of the task force. The bill would require the task force, among other duties, to investigate, apprehend, and recommend for prosecution, as appropriate, individuals or entities that engage in cargo theft or related offenses. The bill would require the Attorney General, on or before January 1, 2028, and each year thereafter, to submit a report to the Governor, Legislature, and Secretary of State on the activities of the task force, as specified. The bill would define terms for its purposes.
Existing law generally provides financial support for cities and counties to provide public safety services, including, among other funding, moneys allocated through the Local Revenue Fund 2011 and its accounts. Existing law, enacted by the voters as the Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act (Proposition 36) at the November 5, 2024, statewide general election, authorizes the Board of State and Community Corrections to allocate appropriate funds to counties and local governments for programs under the Treatment-Mandated Felony Act, as specified. This bill, the Funding of Proposition 36 Act, would create the California Public Safety Services Support Fund to be used, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to implement Proposition 36. The bill would, upon appropriation by the Legislature for the 2026–27 fiscal year, require the funds to be administered by the Board of State and Community Corrections, as specified. The bill would also require, beginning in the 2027–28 fiscal year, the Governor to annually include a proposed transfer from the General Fund to the California Public Safety Services Support Fund of an amount sufficient to fund the ongoing administration of Proposition 36 as part of the Governor's proposed budget to the Legislature. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law establishes the Elderly Parole Program for the purpose of reviewing the parole suitability of inmates who are 50 years of age or older and who have served a minimum of 20 years of continuous incarceration on their sentence. Existing law requires the Board of Parole Hearings, when considering the release of qualifying inmates, to give special consideration to whether certain criteria have reduced the elderly inmate's risk for future violence. Existing law excludes various persons from these provisions, including, among others, persons convicted of serious felonies, persons convicted of first-degree murder of a peace officer, or persons sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. This bill would additionally exclude, among others, persons receiving an enhancement to their sentence for committing certain sexual offenses including, among others, rape, sodomy, or lewd and lascivious acts, and habitual sex offenders. The bill would specify that these exclusions apply to all persons incarcerated as of January 1, 2027, regardless of the person's previous eligibility for parole or the status of any parole petition filed prior to that date.
Existing law regulates the terms and conditions of contracts for online dating services, as defined, and requires those contracts to be in writing and to contain specified information. Existing law generally provides for the regulation of online platforms and services that facilitate interactions between users. This bill would require an online dating service provider to conduct, or have a third party conduct, a local and national criminal background check for each California user who registers for a profile for purposes of the online dating service. The bill would require the background check to include a search of a multistate and multijurisdiction criminal records locator and the United States Department of Justice National Sex Offender Public Website. The bill would require the online dating service provider to place a conspicuous flag on a California user's profile if the background check reveals that the user is a registered sex offender or has been convicted of specified offenses, including a violent felony, a hate crime, or an assault or battery.
