BILL ANALYSIS AB 552 Page 1 CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS AB 552 (Solorio) As Amended April 6, 2010 2/3 vote. Urgency ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |ASSEMBLY: | |(June 3, 2009) |SENATE: |30-0 |(May 10, 2010) | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (vote not relevant) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |COMMITTEE VOTE: |5-0 |(May 20, 2010) |RECOMMENDATION: |Concur | | | | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Original Committee Reference: HIGHER ED. SUMMARY: Modifies the funding authority for new state prison beds constructed pursuant to the Public Safety and Offender Rehabilitation Services Act of 2007. The Senate amendments delete the Assembly version of this bill and instead: 1)Authorize the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to develop beds and treatment space to serve inmates requiring mental health or medical services. 2)Provide that any beds developed with a medical or mental health purpose shall be supported with rehabilitative programming, as defined, that is consistent with the medical or mental health services needed by the inmates. 3)Authorize CDCR to renovate existing buildings at existing facilities for medical, dental and mental health treatment, as well as design, construct, or renovate any ancillary improvements as specified. 4)Modify the calculation of design-build project augmentations from construction funds. 5)Revise the Phase II conditional language requiring that at least 4,000 beds from Phase I be "under construction" to instead AB 552 Page 2 require that at least 4,000 beds be "established by the by State Public Works Board." EXISTING LAW : 1)Authorizes $6.2 billion in lease-revenue bond financing for construction of 40,000 new state prison beds and $1.2 billion for an estimated 13,000 new county jail beds, phased-in over time and contingent upon a series of construction and rehabilitation program implementation benchmarks. 2)Authorizes CDCR to design, construct, or renovate housing units, support buildings, and programming space in order to add up to 12,000 beds at facilities under its jurisdiction. CDCR is required to complete site assessments at facilities at which it intends to construct or renovate additional housing units, support buildings, and programming space. CDCR may use the funding provided to complete these site assessments. After completing these site assessments, the department shall define the scope and cost of each project. 3)Provides that the authority described above may be used to develop new beds including appropriate programmatic space. 4)Requires that any new beds constructed pursuant to the provisions described above shall be supported by rehabilitative programming for inmates, including, but not limited to, education, vocational programs, substance abuse treatment programs, employment programs, and prerelease planning. 5)Provides that the purpose of beds constructed pursuant to the provisions described above is to replace the temporary beds currently in use, and they are not intended to house additional inmates. For the purposes of this section, 'temporary beds' shall be defined as those that are placed in gymnasiums, classrooms, hallways, or other public spaces that were not constructed for the purpose of housing inmates. AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY, this bill established the Commission on Adequate Funding for Career Technical and Vocational Education at the California Community Colleges, funded through private funds, comprised of specified members with specified powers and duties. FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown AB 552 Page 3 COMMENTS : According to the author, "CDCR and the Prison Court Receiver have come to resolution on a plan regarding the appropriate number of new medical and mental health beds needed in our state's adult prison system. AB 552 is an urgency bill that would help implement that resolution. "AB 552 would allow AB 900 bond funding, previously authorized for building new 'infill beds,' to also be used to build beds and treatment spaces serving inmates with medical and mental health needs. It also authorizes bond money expenditure for the renovation of facilities. "Passage of this legislation would allow 1,722 medical and mental health beds to be constructed at an existing facility site in Stockton. "As you would anticipate, the build out at the Stockton facility will lead to the creation of many jobs to help improve the economy. "Not only will this new capacity ensure compliance with existing court concerns related to medical care and mental health care, but it will free up space at existing prison facilities for rehabilitative services for other inmates. "Also, the negotiated construction plan will fully satisfy one of the primary requirements necessary to achieving the goal of restoring control of prison health care to the State as outlined in the Federal Receiver's Turnaround Plan of Action. Enactment of AB 552 will represent a significant step toward the conclusion of the Federal Receivership." Analysis Prepared by : Gabriel Caswell / PUB. S. / (916) 319-3744 FN: 0004437