BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1056
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Date of Hearing: May 27, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
AB
1056 (Atkins) - As Amended May 22, 2015
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|Policy |Housing and Community |Vote:|6 - 0 |
|Committee: |Development | | |
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY: This bill establishes the Second Chance Program (the
Program) to build safer communities by investing in
community-based programs, services, and initiatives for formerly
incarcerated individuals in need of mental health and substance
use treatment services. Specifically, this bill:
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1)Directs the Board of State and Community Corrections (Board)
to administer the program.
2)Establishes Second Chance Fund (the Fund) within the State
Treasury and provides that the BSCC is responsible for
administering the Fund.
3)Provides that the Fund can receive moneys from any federal,
state and local grants, or any private donation or grants.
4)Provides that the Board cannot use moneys in the Fund to
supplant funding to existing programs but can use moneys in
the fund to expand the capacity of existing programs.
5)Caps the amount the Board can spend on administrative costs at
5% annually.
6)Requires the Board to establish and implement a Program that
focuses on community-based solutions for reducing recidivism
and, specifies minimum requirements.
FISCAL EFFECT:
1)Minor and absorbable costs to the Housing and Community
Development Department (HCD) to work with the Board to
administer the grant program.
2)The Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) estimates that the
savings resulting from Proposition 47, while subject to
significant uncertainty, will likely range from $100 million
to $200 million beginning in 2016-17. The Department of
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Finance estimates are lower.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. According to the author, "people in the criminal
justice system and formerly incarcerated individuals have
difficulty securing housing and employment upon leaving
incarceration. These challenges are compounded for people who
live with mental health issues or substance use disorders.
California voters approved Proposition 47, known as the Safe
Neighborhood and Schools Act of 2014. The measure was enacted
to ensure that prison spending is focused on violent and
serious offenses, to maximize alternatives for non-serious,
nonviolent crime, and to invest the savings generated from
Proposition 47 into prevention and support programs. However,
additional guidance is needed on how to invest those savings
to further the goals of the Proposition. AB 1056 provides
guidance to the BSCC on the establishment of a competitive
grant program through which 65% of the anticipated Proposition
47 savings (earmarked for mental health, substance abuse, and
diversion programs) will be distributed to the community. The
grant program will promote comprehensive, collaborative
projects that serve people who have been arrested, charged
with, or convicted of an offense and have a history of mental
health issues."
2)Proposition 47. In 2014, the voters approved Proposition 47
which would reduce the penalties for certain non-violent,
nonserious drug and property crimes and require the resulting
state savings to be used to pay for mental health and
substance use services, truancy, dropout prevention, and
victim crimes. DOF will calculate the savings that accrue to
the state from the implementation of Proposition 47.
Proposition 47 requires the savings be distributed among state
agencies as follows:
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a) 25% to the California Department of Education, to
administer a grant program to reduce truancy and support
students who are at risk of dropping out of school or are
victims of crime.
b) 10% to the California Victim Compensation and Government
Claims Board, to make grants to trauma recovery centers to
provide services to victims of crime.
c) 65% to the Board, to administer a grant program to
public agencies aimed at supporting mental health
treatment, substance abuse treatment, and diversion
programs for people in the criminal justice system, with an
emphasis on programs that reduce recidivism of people
convicted of less serious crimes, such as those covered by
Proposition 47, and those who have substance abuse and
mental health problems.
The Legislature has authority under the Proposition to
determine how the funds are used by the departments that
receive them and how much oversight to provide to determine if
the funds are used effectively. The LAO estimates that the
savings resulting from Proposition 47, while subject to
significant uncertainty, will likely range from $100 million
to $200 million beginning in 2016-17.
AB 1056 provides direction to the Board on how to spend the
65% in savings directed to it to support mental health and
substance use treatment. The bill sets out minimum criteria
that the Board must use when creating the program and
evaluating applicants based on the types of people served,
services that should be funded, other funding sources that
could be leveraged, and the level of geographic diversity,
among other factors.
AB 1056
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Analysis Prepared by:Jennifer Swenson / APPR. / (916)
319-2081