BILL NUMBER:  AB 320
  VETOED	DATE: 10/11/2009




To the Members of the California State Assembly:

I am returning Assembly Bill 320 without my signature.

This measure would require the Department of Corrections and
Rehabilitation and the Corrections Standards Authority, when
providing funds pursuant to AB 900 (Solorio, Chapter 7, Statutes of
2007), to give coequal funding preference to counties that assist the
state in either siting reentry facilities or providing existing beds
and program space in county jails for use as reentry facilities.?
While I appreciate the Legislature's efforts to provide local jail
construction funding, which could help the state achieve its goal of
providing up to 6,000 new reentry beds, I cannot approve this measure
because it fails to define what would constitute an acceptable
"long-term agreement" between the state and local governments.???

Furthermore, I am unable to sign this measure while significant
reforms to AB 900 remain unaddressed as a result of the newly
memorialized construction partnership between the Administration and
the Federal Receiver.? In order to fully implement AB 900, I urge the
Legislature, at the very least, to do the following: (1) provide
permissive authority for the Secretary of the Department of
Corrections and Rehabilitation to accept assignment of any
planning/design/construction contracts already entered into by the
Receiver, and to continue projects (pursuant to Public Works Board
approval) that have already begun with these contracts; (2) amend AB
900 to provide access to Phase II medical/mental health dental
funding and/or shifting of funding from infill to medical/mental
health/dental to construct a Consolidated Care Center facility; and
(3) extend authority for the transfer of inmates to prisons in other
states to July 1, 2014.?

The above stated issues need to be addressed in order to expedite and
facilitate the construction of both existing facility improvements
and new facilities.? Construction of these facilities is essential to
ensure compliance with existing court mandates related to medical
care, mental health care, and dental care.?

For these reasons, I am unable to sign this bill.

Sincerely,



Arnold Schwarzenegger