BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                     AB 489


                                                                    Page  1





          Date of Hearing:   April 15, 2015


                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS


                                 Jimmy Gomez, Chair


          AB  
          489 (Gonzalez) - As Introduced February 23, 2015


           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
          |Policy       | Public Safety                 |Vote:|7-0          |
          |Committee:   |                               |     |             |
          |             |                               |     |             |
          |             |                               |     |             |
          |-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------|
          |             |                               |     |             |
          |             |                               |     |             |
          |             |                               |     |             |
          |-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------|
          |             |                               |     |             |
          |             |                               |     |             |
          |             |                               |     |             |
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 


          Urgency:  No  State Mandated Local Program:  NoReimbursable:  No


          SUMMARY:


          This bill adds ocean lifeguards to the list of public safety  
          officers eligible to receive the Public Safety Medal of Valor  
          (PSMOV) for extraordinary valor above and beyond the call of  
          duty, and authorizes a group to be named later to represent  








                                                                     AB 489


                                                                    Page  2





          ocean lifeguards on the PSMOV Review Board (Board).


          FISCAL EFFECT:


          Minor absorbable costs, probably less than $10,000, to the  
          Department of Justice to include ocean lifeguard representatives  
          on the Board, and to include ocean lifeguards on the eligibility  
          list for the PSMOV. 


          COMMENTS:


          1)Background.  Current law provides the Governor may annually  
            present in the name of the State of California a Medal of  
            Valor to one or more public safety officers cited by the  
            Attorney General (AG), upon the recommendation of the Board  
            for extraordinary valor above and beyond the call of duty.   
            The 11-member Board represents various public safety groups,  
            including firefighters, law enforcement officers, and  
            correctional officers.


          2)Purpose.  According to the author, "The Public Safety Medal of  
            Valor is the highest state award given to public safety  
            officers for showing 'extraordinary valor beyond the call of  
            duty'.  Lifeguards in most jurisdictions in California are  
            classified as public safety officers and they should be  
            eligible to qualify for this award. Their heroic actions save  
            thousands of lives each year and the dangerous work they  
            perform has led some to pay the ultimate price, yet they  
            cannot be considered for this honor."



          "AB 489 will become more inclusionary of those who risk their  
            lives every day and add ocean lifeguards to the list of  








                                                                     AB 489


                                                                    Page  3





            eligible public servants alongside firefighters, law  
            enforcement officers, corrections officers and emergency  
            service officers."

          3)Support. The California Marine Safety Chief's Association  
            states, "Assembly Bill 489 will become more inclusionary of  
            those who risk their lives every day to protect all of us in  
            the state. Our organization strongly supports adding ocean  
            lifeguards to the list of eligible public servants, alongside  
            firefighters, law enforcement officers, corrections officers  
            and emergency service officers. AB 489 would also include a  
            12th member that represents ocean lifeguards to sit on the  
            Public Safety Medal of Valor Review Board, a group that  
            reviews and recommends candidates to the Attorney General." 


          
          4)Opposition.  The Peace Officers Research Association of  
            California (PORAC) states, ""The Public Safety Officer Medal  
            of Valor is meant to recognize the heroic acts of sworn public  
            safety personnel. While we appreciate the heroism of our ocean  
            lifeguards and commend their efforts to keep our coastline  
            safe, the Medal of Valor is not the appropriate avenue for  
            recognition. There are separate medals for citizen and  
            non-sworn public safety personnel and PORAC believes those  
            awards are better suited for non-sworn ocean lifeguards." 


          
          Analysis Prepared by:Pedro R. Reyes / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081
















                                                                     AB 489


                                                                    Page  4