BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 489
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB
489 (Gonzalez)
As Introduced February 23, 2015
Majority vote
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|Committee |Votes |Ayes |Noes |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|----------------+------+-----------------------+--------------------|
|Public Safety |7-0 |Quirk, Melendez, | |
| | |Gonzalez, | |
| | |Jones-Sawyer, Lackey, | |
| | |Low, Santiago | |
| | | | |
|----------------+------+-----------------------+--------------------|
|Appropriations |16-0 |Gomez, Bigelow, Bonta, | |
| | |Calderon, Chang, Daly, | |
| | |Eggman, Gallagher, | |
| | |Eduardo Garcia, | |
| | |Holden, Jones, Quirk, | |
| | |Rendon, Wagner, Weber, | |
| | |Wood | |
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SUMMARY: 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 ocean
lifeguards on the PSMOV Review Board.
AB 489
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EXISTING LAW:
1)Provides that 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 Medal of Valor Review Board (Board) for
extraordinary valor above and beyond the call of duty. The
PSMOV shall be the highest state award for valor given to a
public safety officer, which includes any person serving a
public service agency, with or without compensation, as a
firefighter, a law enforcement officer, including a corrections
or court officer or a civil defense officer, or an emergency
services officer.
2)Creates the "Medal of Valor Review Board," comprised of
representatives or their designees, selected by the following
organizations:
a) California Association of Highway Patrolman;
b) California Coalition of Law Enforcement Associations;
c) California Correctional Peace Officers Association;
d) California Peace Officers' Association;
e) California Police Chiefs' Association;
f) California Professional Firefighters;
AB 489
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g) California State Firefighters' Association;
h) California State Sheriffs' Association;
i) California Statewide Law Enforcement Association;
j) Peace Officers Research Association of California; and
aa) A group representing emergency medical technicians and
paramedics, to be selected by the Board.
3)Provides that the Board shall be chaired by a member elected by
a majority of the members at the first official meeting of the
Board each year. The Board shall meet at the call of the chair.
Members shall serve without compensation or reimbursement for
travel, per diem, or other expenses, and they shall minimize
travel expenses to the greatest extent possible. Any cost
incurred by a member as a result of serving as a member shall
not be paid by the state.
4)Requires the Board to review applications for the PSMOV to
determine which applicants, if any, to recommend to the AG. Not
more than once each year, the Board may present to the AG the
names of those persons, if any, it recommends for the PSMOV.
5)Authorizes the Board to receive donations to pay for meeting and
witness expenses. Witnesses requested to appear before the
Board may be paid no more than the fees paid to witnesses under
Code of Civil Procedure. The per diem and mileage allowance may
be paid by funds donated to the Board and shall not be paid by
the state. If donated funds are not available to the Board, the
Board shall not hold hearings or have witnesses. FISCAL EFFECT:
AB 489
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According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, 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: 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 eligible
public servants alongside firefighters, law enforcement officers,
corrections officers and emergency service officers."
Analysis Prepared by:
Gregory Pagan / PUB. S. / (916) 319-3744 FN: 0000177