BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 49
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          Date of Hearing:   April 2, 2003

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                              Darrell Steinberg, Chair

                 AB 49 (Simitian) - As Introduced:  December 2, 2003 

          Policy Committee:                              Public  
          SafetyVote:  7-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:               

           SUMMARY  

          This bill:

          1)Creates the California Cyber Crimes Task Force, comprised of  
            the five regional task forces participating in the existing  
            High Technology Theft Apprehension and Prosecution Program  
            (HiTTAPP).

          2)Expands the goals of HiTTAPP to include apprehension and  
            prosecution of persons engaged in the unlawful access,  
            disruption, or destruction of public utilities and state  
            infrastructure.
           
           FISCAL EFFECT  

            Minor administrative costs to HiTTAPP Trust Fund - a $14.3  
          million fund supported by the General Fund and administered by  
          the Office of Criminal Justice Planning (OCJP) as proposed by  
          the 2003-04 budget. Funding is disbursed to local law  
          enforcement and district attorneys by OCJP in consultation with  
          the High Technology Crime Advisory Committee.

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale  . According to the author's office, this bill is  
            intended to improve HiTTAPP's standing for federal Homeland  
            Security funding, should such funding become available, by  
            expanding, clarifying and centralizing HiTTAPP's mission. It  
            is not clear whether or how the creation of another task force  
            will accomplish the objective of receiving federal funding.  
            The author's office acknowledges this measure is a work in  








                                                                  AB 49
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            progress.  

              According to the author, "high technology crime is the fastest  
            growing crime in America, and high technology detective work  
            is used in the investigations of crimes ranging from the most  
            violent murders to the most common fraud."   

           2)HiTTAPP  was created in 1998 as a program of financial and  
            technical assistance for local law enforcement and district  
            attorneys. There are five regional HiTTAPP task forces:   
            Silicon Valley, the San Francisco Bay Area, L.A., San Diego,  
            and the Sacramento Valley. High-tech crimes addressed by the  
            program include Internet sexual exploitation of children,  
            cyberterrorism of banking and financial infrastructures,  
            counterfeiting, and identity theft. 
                  

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Geoff Long / APPR. / (916) 319-2081