BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                       



           ------------------------------------------------------------ 
          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                   AB 503|
          |Office of Senate Floor Analyses   |                         |
          |1020 N Street, Suite 524          |                         |
          |(916) 651-1520         Fax: (916) |                         |
          |327-4478                          |                         |
           ------------------------------------------------------------ 
           
                                         
                                 THIRD READING


          Bill No:  AB 503
          Author:   Furutani (D)
          Amended:  6/23/09 in Senate
          Vote:     21

           
           SENATE HEALTH COMMITTEE  :  8-1, 6/10/09
          AYES:  Strickland, Cedillo, Cox, DeSaulnier, Leno,  
            Maldonado, Negrete McLeod, Wolk
          NOES:  Aanestad
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Alquist, Pavley
           
          SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE  :  11-0, 7/13/09
          AYES:  Kehoe, Cox, Corbett, Denham, Leno, Price, Runner,  
            Walters, Wolk, Wyland, Yee
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Hancock, Oropeza

           ASSEMBLY FLOOR  :  80-0, 5/11/09 - See last page for vote


           SUBJECT  :    Battered womens shelters:  grant program

           SOURCE  :     Author


           DIGEST  :    This bill extends the sunset date for the  
          Domestic Violence Advisory Council which advises the  
          Domestic Violence Program within the Department of Public  
          Health to January 1, 2015.

           ANALYSIS  :    

          Existing law:
                                                           CONTINUED





                                                                AB 503
                                                                Page  
          2


          1. Establishes the Battered Women's Shelter Program, now  
             known as the Domestic Violence Program, within the  
             Maternal and Child Health Branch of the Department of  
             Public Health, now known as the Maternal, Child and  
             Adolescent Division, to administer grants to battered  
             women's shelters for comprehensive shelter-based  
             services.  These services include emergency shelter for  
             victims and their children escaping violent family  
             situations; transitional housing programs which may  
             include case management, counseling, job training and  
             placement, support groups, and classes in parenting and  
             family budgeting; advocacy and representation to pursue  
             appropriate legal options; and other support services  
             for victims and their children.

          2. Establishes until January 1, 2010, the Domestic Violence  
             Advisory Council (Council), which the Department of  
             Public Health (DPH) is required to consult with in  
             implementing the Domestic Violence Program.  

          3. Requires the Council membership to include domestic  
             violence advocates; battered women service providers;  
             representatives of law enforcement, women's  
             organizations, and other groups involved with domestic  
             violence; and a service provider serving the lesbian,  
             gay, bisexual, and transgender community.  

          4. Specifies that the Council is comprised of seven members  
             appointed by the Governor, three members each appointed  
             by the Speaker of the Assembly and the Senate Rules  
             Committee, and two non-voting ex-officio members who are  
             members of the Legislature.

          This bill extends the sunset date for the Council which  
          advises the Domestic Violence Program within DPH to January  
          1, 2015.

          This bill requires DPH to consult with the California  
          Emergency Management Agency to consider the consolidation  
          of their respective domestic violence programs and to  
          report the conclusions to the Legislature by June 30, 2011.

           Background  







                                                                AB 503
                                                                Page  
          3


          Domestic violence most often refers to intimate partner  
          violence.  It includes violence between spouses,  
          individuals in dating relationships, and former partners or  
          spouses, and can occur inside or outside the home.   
          Domestic violence often involves a pattern of coercive  
          behavior that includes physical, sexual, verbal, emotional  
          and psychological abuse.  The California Penal Code defines  
          abuse as "intentionally or recklessly causing or attempting  
          to cause bodily injury, or placing another person in  
          reasonable apprehension of imminent, serious bodily injury  
          to himself, herself or another."

          According to the Department of Justice, law enforcement  
          received 174,649 domestic violence calls in 2007; 119  
          murders were the result of intimate partner violence, 101  
          women were killed by their husbands, ex-husbands or  
          boyfriends, and 18 men were killed by their wives, ex-wives  
          or girlfriends. As of April 2008, there were 246,444  
          domestic violence related orders (emergency protective  
          orders, temporary restraining orders, orders after hearing,  
          other domestic violence orders, or criminal protective  
          orders) on file with the department.  

           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  Yes    
          Local:  No

          According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:

                          Fiscal Impact (in thousands)

            Major Provisions               2009-10      2010-11       
            2011-12              Fund  

           Sunset extension             unknown, but likely under $50  
           ongoing            General

           Report consolidation         unknown, but likely minor and  
           absorbable         General
           conclusions

           SUPPORT  :   (Verified  7/14/09)

          Alternatives to Domestic Violence







                                                                AB 503
                                                                Page  
          4

          American Federation of State, County and Municipal  
          Employees, AFL-CIO
          Asian Women's Shelter
          Break the Cycle
          Community Service Program Victim Assistance Programs
          Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske, Fifth District, Long Beach
          Eastman Hope Healthy Start
          House of Ruth
          Human Options
          Legal Aid Society of Orange County
          Mothers of Lost Children
          Peace Over Violence
          Rainbow Services
          South Asian Helpline and Referral Agency
          Sojourn Services for Battered Women and Their Children


           ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT  :    Supporters state that domestic  
          violence statistics highlight the continuing need for  
          emergency shelters, housing, legal advocacy, and support  
          services for victims of domestic violence.  Supporters  
          further state that this bill extends important provisions  
          of the Battered Women Protection Act which requires the  
          Domestic Violence Program to consult with the Council  
          regarding the distribution of grants.  Supporters contend  
          that members of the Council are leaders and experts in the  
          domestic violence field, and that by extending the Council,  
          this bill will ensure strong leadership in providing  
          funding to these programs. 


           ASSEMBLY FLOOR  : 
          AYES:  Adams, Ammiano, Anderson, Arambula, Beall, Bill  
            Berryhill, Tom Berryhill, Blakeslee, Block, Blumenfield,  
            Brownley, Buchanan, Caballero, Charles Calderon, Carter,  
            Chesbro, Conway, Cook, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De Leon,  
            DeVore, Duvall, Emmerson, Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fletcher,  
            Fong, Fuentes, Fuller, Furutani, Gaines, Galgiani,  
            Garrick, Gilmore, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Hayashi,  
            Hernandez, Hill, Huber, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Knight,  
            Krekorian, Lieu, Logue, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza,  
            Miller, Monning, Nava, Nestande, Niello, Nielsen, John A.  
            Perez, V. Manuel Perez, Portantino, Price, Ruskin, Salas,  
            Saldana, Silva, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, Audra  







                                                                AB 503
                                                                Page  
          5

            Strickland, Swanson, Torlakson, Torres, Torrico, Tran,  
            Villines, Yamada, Bass


          CTW:mw  7/14/09   Senate Floor Analyses 

                         SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

                                ****  END  ****