BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 65
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Date of Hearing: April 15, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
AB
65 (Alejo) - As Amended March 19, 2015
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill redirects funds from the Driver Training Penalty
Assessment Fund (DTPAF) and allocates that money to the Board of
State and Community Corrections (BSCC) to be used to fund local
law enforcement agencies to operate a body-worn camera program,
AB 65
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as specified. Specifically, this bill:
1)Repeals the DTPAF and replaces it with the Body-worn Camera
Fund (BCF) and requires funds previously deposited in the
DTPAF be deposited in the BCF.
2)Requires the BSCC to develop a grant program to make funds
available for local body-worn camera programs, and
continuously appropriates funds in the BCF to the BSCC to fund
the grant program.
3)Requires the BSCC to maximize the use of federal funds, if
federal funds become available for local body worn camera
programs.
FISCAL EFFECT:
1)According to the Governor's Budget, approximately $30 million
will be deposited into the DTPAF in 2014-15 from the State
Penalty Fund, and approximately $29 million will be deposited
in 2015-16. Therefore, this bill redirects approximately $29
million to $30 million per year from the DTPAF to the BCF.
2)The proposed redirection also impacts other funds, and
therefore, other state programs, resulting in annual GF
pressure, or various program funding reductions, in excess of
$28 million. Control Section 24.10 of the 2014-15 Budget Act
and AB 103 (Budget Bill) transfer funds from the DTPAF as
follows:
a) To the Schoolbus Driver Instructor Training in the
Department of Education $1,737,000
AB 65
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b) To the Corrections Training Fund, $9,800,000
c) To the Peace Officers' Training Fund, $14,000,000
d) Victim Witness Assistance Fund, $4,121,000
3)Cost to the BSCC to develop and administer the grant program
are unknown, but will be at least $200,000 for three
positions. Actual costs will depend on funds available and
interest by local law enforcement agencies.
COMMENTS:
1)Background. A recent report released by U.S. Department of
Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and
the Police Executive Research Forum studied the use of
body-worn cameras by police agencies. The report shows that
body-worn cameras can help agencies demonstrate transparency
and address the community's questions about controversial
events.In December 2014, President Obama proposed a new Body
Worn Camera Partnership Program, which will provide a 50
percent match to states and local jurisdictions that purchase
body-worn cameras and requisite storage.
2)Purpose. According to the author, the purpose of this bill is
to help local law enforcement agencies draw down federal funds
by providing them with state funds.
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3)Related Legislation
a) AB 66 (Weber), would state the intent of the Legislature
to enact legislation to require local police departments
that utilize police body-worn cameras to follow policies
and procedures that will streamline best practices to
better enhance the quality of the services that those
departments provide to Californians. AB 66 is pending
referral by the Rules Committee.
b) AB 69 (Rodriguez), would require law enforcement
agencies to follow specified best practices when
establishing policies and procedures for downloading and
storing data from body-worn cameras. AB 69 is pending
hearing by this Committee.
c) SB 175 (Huff), would require each department or agency
that employs peace officers and that elects to require
those peace officers to wear body-worn cameras to develop a
policy relating to the use of body-worn cameras. The bill
would require the policy to be developed in collaboration
with nonsupervisory officers and to include certain
provisions, including, among others, the duration, time,
and place when body-worn cameras shall be worn and
operational. SB 175 is pending hearing by the Senate
Committee on Public Safety.
d) SB 195 (Anderson), would state the intent of the
Legislature to enact legislation that protects the privacy
of individuals recorded by body-worn cameras utilized by
law enforcement officers and the privacy of law enforcement
officers wearing body-worn cameras. SB 195 is pending
referral by the Rules Committee.
1)Prior Legislation:
AB 790 (Karnette), of the 2007-2008, would have redirected 4%
of funds from the Driver Training Penalty Assessment Fund and
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allocated that money to the Department of Justice to be used
to support the California Witness Protection Program. AB 790
was held on this Committee's Suspense File.
Analysis Prepared by:Pedro R. Reyes / APPR. / (916)
319-2081