Amended in Senate April 15, 2013

Senate Bill No. 530

Introduced by Senator Wright

February 21, 2013

An act to amend Section 432.7 of the Labor Code, and to amend Sections 4852.01, 4852.03, begin insert 4852.06, end insert 4852.07, and 4852.13 of the Penal Code, relating to criminal offenders.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 530, as amended, Wright. Criminal offenders: rehabilitation.

Existing law authorizes an individual convicted of a felony or convicted of a misdemeanor violation of a sex offense, as specified, the accusatory pleading of which has been dismissed, to file a petition for a certificate of rehabilitation and a pardon provided that the petitioner has not been incarcerated since the dismissal of the accusatory pleading, is not on probation for the commission of another felony, and presents satisfactory evidence of 5 years’ residence in this state prior to the filing of the petition. Existing law authorizes, after the minimum period of rehabilitation has expired, an individual, as specified, to file a petition for ascertainment and declaration of rehabilitation. Existing law then requires the individual to give notice of that filing to specified individuals. Existing law authorizes a court to grant an order known as a certificate of rehabilitation and recommend that the Governor grant a full pardon to certain individuals.

This bill would eliminate the requirement that an individual present satisfactory evidence of 5 years’ residence in this state prior to the filing of the petition. This bill would additionally authorize an individual convicted outside the state, as provided, of an offense that would be a begin insert specified end insert felony or a misdemeanor sex offense begin delete specified in Section 290 end delete if the conviction had occurred in the state, to file a petition for a certificate of rehabilitation if the petitioner has not been incarcerated begin delete , as specified, end delete since the dismissal of the accusatory pleading and is not on probation for the commission of any other felony, and presents clear and convincing evidence that he or she has been a resident of the United States, its territories, or a military base for the 5 consecutive years prior to filing the petition. The bill would make begin insert other end insert conforming changes.

Existing law prohibits an employer, whether a public agency or private individual or corporation, from asking an applicant for employment to disclose, or from utilizing as a factor in determining any condition of employment, information concerning an arrest or detention that did not result in a conviction, or information concerning a referral or participation in, any pretrial or posttrial diversion program, except as specified. Existing law makes it a crime to intentionally violate these provisions.

This bill would additionally prohibit an employer, as specified, from asking an applicant to disclose, or from utilizing as a factor in determining any condition of employment, information concerning a conviction that has been judicially dismissed, as provided, begin delete with exceptions. end delete begin insert unless the employer is required by law to obtain that information, the applicant woul end insert begin insert d be required to possess or use a firearm in the cour end insert begin insert se of his or her employment, an individual who has been convicted of a crime is prohibited by law from holding the position sought by the applicant, regardless of whether that conviction has been expunged, judicially ordered sealed, statutorily eradicated, or judicially dismissed following probation, or if the employer is prohibited by law from hiring an applicant who has been convicted of a crime. end insert Because this bill would expand the definition of a crime, it 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 432.7 of the Labor Code is amended to
read:

432.7.  

(a) No employer, whether a public agency or private
individual or corporation, shall ask an applicant for employment
to disclose, through any written form or verbally, information
concerning an arrest or detention that did not result in conviction,
or information concerning a referral to, and participation in, any
pretrial or posttrial diversion program, or concerning a conviction
that has been judicially dismissed pursuant to Section 1203.4 of
the Penal Code, nor shall any employer seek from any source
whatsoever, or utilize, as a factor in determining any condition of
employment including hiring, promotion, termination, or any
apprenticeship training program or any other training program
leading to employment, any record of arrest or detention that did
not result in conviction, or any record regarding a referral to, and
participation in, any pretrial or posttrial diversion program, or
concerning a conviction that has been judicially dismissed pursuant
to Section 1203.4 of the Penal Code. As used in this section, a
conviction shall include a plea, verdict, or finding of guilt
regardless of whether sentence is imposed by the court. Nothing
in this section shall prevent an employer from asking an employee
or applicant for employment about an arrest for which the employee
or applicant is out on bail or on his or her own recognizance
pending trial.

(b) Nothing in this section shall prohibit the disclosure of the
information authorized for release under Sections 13203 and 13300
of the Penal Code, to a government agency employing a peace
officer. However, the employer shall not determine any condition
of employment other than paid administrative leave based solely
on an arrest report. The information contained in an arrest report
may be used as the starting point for an independent, internal
investigation of a peace officer in accordance with Chapter 9.7
(commencing with Section 3300) of Division 4 of Title 1 of the
Government Code.

(c) In any case where a person violates this section, or Article
6 (commencing with Section 11140) of Chapter 1 of Title 1 of Part
4 of the Penal Code, the applicant may bring an action to recover
from that person actual damages or two hundred dollars ($200),
whichever is greater, plus costs, and reasonable attorney’s fees.
An intentional violation of this section shall entitle the applicant
to treble actual damages, or five hundred dollars ($500), whichever
is greater, plus costs, and reasonable attorney’s fees. An intentional
violation of this section is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not
to exceed five hundred dollars ($500).

(d) The remedies under this section shall be in addition to and
not in derogation of all other rights and remedies that an applicant
may have under any other law.

(e) Persons seeking employment or persons already employed
as peace officers or persons seeking employment for positions in
the Department of Justice or other criminal justice agencies as
defined in Section 13101 of the Penal Code are not covered by
this section.

(f) Nothing in this section shall prohibit an employer at a health
facility, as defined in Section 1250 of the Health and Safety Code,
from asking an applicant for employment either of the following:

(1) With regard to an applicant for a position with regular access
to patients, to disclose an arrest under any section specified in
Section 290 of the Penal Code.

(2) With regard to an applicant for a position with access to
drugs and medication, to disclose an arrest under any section
specified in Section 11590 of the Health and Safety Code.

(g) (1) No peace officer or employee of a law enforcement
agency with access to criminal offender record information
maintained by a local law enforcement criminal justice agency
shall knowingly disclose, with intent to affect a person’s
employment, any information contained therein pertaining to an
arrest or detention or proceeding that did not result in a conviction,
including information pertaining to a referral to, and participation
in, any pretrial or posttrial diversion program, to any person not
authorized by law to receive that information.

(2) No other person authorized by law to receive criminal
offender record information maintained by a local law enforcement
criminal justice agency shall knowingly disclose any information
received therefrom pertaining to an arrest or detention or
proceeding that did not result in a conviction, including information
pertaining to a referral to, and participation in, any pretrial or
posttrial diversion program, to any person not authorized by law
to receive that information.

(3) No person, except those specifically referred to in Section
1070 of the Evidence Code, who knowing he or she is not
authorized by law to receive or possess criminal justice records
information maintained by a local law enforcement criminal justice
agency, pertaining to an arrest or other proceeding that did not
result in a conviction, including information pertaining to a referral
to, and participation in, any pretrial or posttrial diversion program,
shall receive or possess that information.

(h) “A person authorized by law to receive that information,”
for purposes of this section, means any person or public agency
authorized by a court, statute, or decisional law to receive
information contained in criminal offender records maintained by
a local law enforcement criminal justice agency, and includes, but
is not limited to, those persons set forth in Section 11105 of the
Penal Code, and any person employed by a law enforcement
criminal justice agency who is required by that employment to
receive, analyze, or process criminal offender record information.

(i) Nothing in this section shall require the Department of Justice
to remove entries relating to an arrest or detention not resulting in
conviction from summary criminal history records forwarded to
an employer pursuant to law.

(j) As used in this section, “pretrial or posttrial diversion
program” means any program under Chapter 2.5 (commencing
with Section 1000) or Chapter 2.7 (commencing with Section
1001) of Title 6 of Part 2 of the Penal Code, Section 13201 or
13352.5 of the Vehicle Code, or any other program expressly
authorized and described by statute as a diversion program.

(k) (1) Subdivision (a) shall not apply to any city, city and
county, county, or district, or any officer or official thereof, in
screening a prospective concessionaire, or the affiliates and
associates of a prospective concessionaire for purposes of
consenting to, or approving of, the prospective concessionaire’s
application for, or acquisition of, any beneficial interest in a
concession, lease, or other property interest.

(2) For purposes of this subdivision the following terms have
the following meanings:

(A) “Screening” means a written request for criminal history
information made to a local law enforcement agency.

(B) “Prospective concessionaire” means any individual, general
or limited partnership, corporation, trust, association, or other
entity that is applying for, or seeking to obtain, a public agency’s
consent to, or approval of, the acquisition by that individual or
entity of any beneficial ownership interest in any public agency’s
concession, lease, or other property right whether directly or
indirectly held. However, “prospective concessionaire” does not
include any of the following:

(i) A lender acquiring an interest solely as security for a bona
fide loan made in the ordinary course of the lender’s business and
not made for the purpose of acquisition.

(ii) A lender upon foreclosure or assignment in lieu of
foreclosure of the lender’s security.

(C) “Affiliate” means any individual or entity that controls, or
is controlled by, the prospective concessionaire, or who is under
common control with the prospective concessionaire.

(D) “Associate” means any individual or entity that shares a
common business purpose with the prospective concessionaire
with respect to the beneficial ownership interest that is subject to
the consent or approval of the city, county, city and county, or
district.

(E) “Control” means the possession, direct or indirect, of the
power to direct, or cause the direction of, the management or
policies of the controlled individual or entity.

(l) (1) Nothing in subdivision (a) shall prohibit a public agency,
or any officer or official thereof, from denying consent to, or
approval of, a prospective concessionaire’s application for, or
acquisition of, any beneficial interest in a concession, lease, or
other property interest based on the criminal history information
of the prospective concessionaire or the affiliates or associates of
the prospective concessionaire that show any criminal conviction
for offenses involving moral turpitude. Criminal history
information for purposes of this subdivision includes any criminal
history information obtained pursuant to Section 11105 or 13300
of the Penal Code.

(2) In considering criminal history information, a public agency
shall consider the crime for which the prospective concessionaire
or the affiliates or associates of the prospective concessionaire was
convicted only if that crime relates to the specific business that is
proposed to be conducted by the prospective concessionaire.

(3) Any prospective concessionaire whose application for
consent or approval to acquire a beneficial interest in a concession,
lease, or other property interest is denied based on criminal history
information shall be provided a written statement of the reason for
the denial.

(4) (A) If the prospective concessionaire submits a written
request to the public agency within 10 days of the date of the notice
of denial, the public agency shall review its decision with regard
to any corrected record or other evidence presented by the
prospective concessionaire as to the accuracy or incompleteness
of the criminal history information utilized by the public agency
in making its original decision.

(B) The prospective concessionaire shall submit the copy or the
corrected record of any other evidence to the public agency within
90 days of a request for review. The public agency shall render its
decision within 20 days of the submission of evidence by the
prospective concessionaire.

(m) Subdivision (a) does not prohibit an employer from asking
an applicant about a criminal conviction or seeking from any source
information regarding a criminal conviction of, or entry into a
pretrial diversion or similar program by, the applicant if, pursuant
to Section 1829 of Title 12 of the United States Code or any other
state or federal law, any of the following apply:

(1) The employer is required by law to obtain information
regarding a conviction of an applicant.

(2) The applicant would be required to possess or use a firearm
in the course of his or her employment.

(3) An individual who has been convicted of a crime is
prohibited by law from holding the position sought by the
applicant, regardless of whether that conviction has been expunged,
judicially ordered sealed, statutorily eradicated, or judicially
dismissed following probation.

(4) The employer is prohibited by law from hiring an applicant
who has been convicted of a crime.

begin delete

(5) (A) In a case that was dismissed pursuant to Section 1203.4
of the Penal Code, a crime for which the applicant was convicted
directly relates to the position of employment sought.

(B) In determining if a conviction directly relates to the position
of employment sought, the employer shall consider all of the
following:

(i) The nature and seriousness of the crime or crimes of which
the individual was convicted.

(ii) The relationship of the crime or crimes to the purposes of
the position for which employment is sought.

(iii) The relationship of the crime or crimes to the ability,
capacity, and fitness required to perform the duties and discharge
the responsibilities of the position of employment.

end delete

SEC. 2.  

Section 4852.01 of the Penal Code is amended to read:

4852.01.  

(a) Any person convicted of a felony who has been
released from a state prison or other state penal institution or
agency in California, whether discharged on completion of the
term for which he or she was sentenced or released on parole prior
to May 13, 1943, who has not been incarcerated in a state prison
or other state penal institution or agency since his or her release
and who presents satisfactory evidence of a three-year residence
in this state immediately prior to the filing of the petition for a
certificate of rehabilitation and pardon provided for by this chapter,
may file the petition pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.

(b) Any person convicted of a felony who, on May 13, 1943,
was confined in a state prison or other institution or agency to
which he or she was committed and any person convicted of a
felony after that date who is committed to a state prison or other
institution or agency may file a petition for a certificate of
rehabilitation and pardon pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.

(c) (1) Any person convicted of a felony or any person who is
convicted of a misdemeanor violation of any sex offense specified
in Section 290, the accusatory pleading of which has been
dismissed pursuant to Section 1203.4, may file a petition for
certificate of rehabilitation and pardon pursuant to the provisions
of this chapter if the petitioner has not been incarcerated in any
prison, jail, detention facility, or other penal institution or agency
since the dismissal of the accusatory pleading and is not on
probation for the commission of any other felony.

(2) Any individual convicted outside the state, but in the United
States or one of its territories, of an offense that would be a felony
or a misdemeanor sex offense specified in Section 290 if the
conviction had occurred in the state, may file a petition for a
certificate of rehabilitation pursuant to the provisions of this chapter
if the petitioner has not been incarcerated in any prison, jail,
detention facility, or other penal institution or agency since the
dismissal of the accusatory pleading and is not on probation for
the commission of any other felony, and the petitioner presents
clear and convincing evidence that he or she has been a resident
of the United States, its territories, or a military base for the five
consecutive years prior to filing the petition.

(d) This chapter shall not apply to persons serving a mandatory
life parole, persons committed under death sentences, persons
convicted of a violation of subdivision (c) of Section 286, Section
288, subdivision (c) of Section 288a, Section 288.5, or subdivision
(j) of Section 289, or persons in the military service.

(e) Notwithstanding the above provisions or any other provision
of law, the Governor shall have the right to pardon a person
convicted of a violation of subdivision (c) of Section 286, Section
288, subdivision (c) of Section 288a, Section 288.5, or subdivision
(j) of Section 289, if there are extraordinary circumstances.

SEC. 3.  

Section 4852.03 of the Penal Code is amended to read:

4852.03.  

(a) The period of rehabilitation shall begin to run
upon the discharge of the petitioner from custody due to his or her
completion of the term to which he or she was sentenced or upon
his or her release on parole or probation, whichever is sooner. For
purposes of this chapter, the period of rehabilitation shall constitute
five years, plus a period of time determined by the following rules:

(1) To the five years there shall be added four years in the case
of any person convicted of violating Section 187, 209, 219, 4500,
or 18755 of this code, or subdivision (a) of Section 1672 of the
Military and Veterans Code, or of committing any other offense
which carries a life sentence.

(2) To the five years there shall be added five years in the case
of any person convicted of committing any offense or attempted
offense for which sex offender registration is required pursuant to
Section 290, except for convictions for violations of subdivision
(b), (c), or (d) of Section 311.2, or of Section 311.3, 311.10, or
314. For those convictions, two years shall be added to the five
years imposed by this section.

(3) To the five years there shall be added two years in the case
of any person convicted of committing any offense that is not listed
in paragraph (1) or paragraph (2) and that does not carry a life
sentence.

(4) The trial court hearing the application for the certificate of
rehabilitation may, if the defendant was ordered to serve
consecutive sentences, order that his or her statutory period of
rehabilitation be extended for an additional period of time which
when combined with the time already served will not exceed the
period prescribed by statute for the sum of the maximum penalties
for all the crimes.

(5) Any person who was discharged after completion of his or
her term or was released on parole before May 13, 1943, is not
subject to the periods of rehabilitation set forth in these rules.

begin delete

(b) Unless and until the period of rehabilitation, as stipulated
in this section, has passed, the petitioner shall be ineligible to file
his or her petition for a certificate of rehabilitation with the court.
Any certificate of rehabilitation that is issued and under which the
petitioner has not fulfilled the requirements of this chapter shall
be void.

end delete begin insert

(b) Except in a case requiring registration pursuant to Section
290, a trial court hearing an application for a certificate of
rehabilitation before the applicable period of rehabilitation has
elapsed may grant the application if the court, in its discretion,
believes relief serves the interests of justice.

end insert

(c) A change of residence within this state does not interrupt
the period of rehabilitation prescribed by this section.

begin insert

begin insert SEC. 4. end insert   

end insert

begin insert Section 4852.06 of the end insert begin insert Penal Code end insert begin insert is amended to read: end insert

4852.06.  

Except as provided in subdivision (a) of Section
begin delete 4852.01, end delete begin insert 4852.01 and subdivision (b) of Section 4852.03, end insert after the
expiration of the minimum period of rehabilitation applicable to
him or her (and, in the case of persons released upon parole or
probation, after the termination of parole or probation), each person
who has complied with the requirements of Section 4852.05 may
file in the superior court of the county in which he or she then
resides a petition for ascertainment and declaration of the fact of
his or her rehabilitation and of matters incident thereto, and for a
certificate of rehabilitation under this chapter. begin delete No petition shall be
filed until and unless the petitioner has continuously resided in
this state, after leaving prison, for a period of not less than five
years immediately preceding the date of filing the petition. end delete

begin delete SEC. 4. end delete
begin insert SEC. 5. end insert   

Section 4852.07 of the Penal Code is amended to read:

4852.07.  

(a) The petitioner, except for those applying pursuant
to paragraph (2) of subdivision (c) of Section 4852.01, shall give
notice of the filing of the petition to the district attorney of the
county in which the petition is filed, to the district attorney of each
county in which the petitioner was convicted of a felony or of a
crime the accusatory pleading of which was dismissed pursuant
to Section 1203.4, and to the office of the Governor, together with
notice of the time of the hearing of the petition, at least 30 days
prior to the date set for that hearing.

(b) A petitioner filing pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision
(c) of Section 4852.01 shall give notice of the filing of the petition
to the district attorney in each county, or the equivalent jurisdiction,
where a felony or misdemeanor offense occurred, and in each
county where the petitioner resided for the previous five years, at
least 90 days prior to the date set for a hearing.

begin delete SEC. 5. end delete
begin insert SEC. 6. end insert   

Section 4852.13 of the Penal Code is amended to read:

4852.13.  

(a) (1) Except as otherwise provided in subdivision
(b), if after hearing, the court finds that the petitioner has
demonstrated by his or her course of conduct his or her
rehabilitation and his or her fitness to exercise all of the civil and
political rights of citizenship, the court may make an order
declaring that the petitioner has been rehabilitated, and
recommending that the Governor grant a full pardon to the
petitioner, unless the petitioner has filed the petition pursuant to
paragraph (2) of subdivision (c) of Section 4852.01. This order
shall be filed with the clerk of the court, and shall be known as a
certificate of rehabilitation.

(2) If an individual has filed the petition pursuant to paragraph
(2) of subdivision (c) of Section 4852.01, and the court finds that
the petitioner has demonstrated the fitness and rehabilitation
requirements of paragraph (1) by clear and convincing evidence,
the court may make an order declaring that the petitioner has been
rehabilitated. The order shall be filed with the clerk of the court,
and shall be known as a certificate of rehabilitation.

(b) No certificate of rehabilitation shall be granted to a person
convicted of any offense specified in Section 290 if the court
determines that the petitioner presents a continuing threat to minors
of committing any of the offenses specified in Section 290.

(c) A district attorney in either the county where the conviction
was obtained or the county of residence of the recipient of the
certificate of rehabilitation may petition the superior court to
rescind a certificate if it was granted for any offense specified in
Section 290. The petition shall be filed in either the county in
which the person who has received the certificate of rehabilitation
resides or the county in which the conviction was obtained. If the
superior court finds that petitioner has demonstrated by a
preponderance of the evidence that the person who has received
the certificate presents a continuing threat to minors of committing
any of the offenses specified in Section 290, the court shall rescind
the certificate.

begin delete SEC. 6. end delete
begin insert SEC. 7. end insert   

No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to
Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because
the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school
district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or
infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty
for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of
the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within
the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California
Constitution.