BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                    AB 1475


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          CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS


          AB  
          1475 (Cooper)


          As Amended  July 7, 2015


          Majority vote


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          |ASSEMBLY:  | 77-0 | (April 30,    |SENATE: | 40-0 | (July 13, 2015) |
          |           |      |2015)          |        |      |                 |
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          |           |      |               |        |      |                 |
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          Original Committee Reference:  PUB. S.


          SUMMARY:  Authorizes each county to establish and implement an  
          interagency sexual assault response team (SART) program for the  
          purpose of, among other things, effectively addressing the  
          problem of sexual assault.


          The Senate amendments: 


          1)Authorize each SART to add representatives of University and  
            college Title IX coordinators, and University and college  
            police departments depending on local needs and goals.  


          2)Expands the SART objectives to include planning and  
            implementation. 










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          EXISTING LAW:  


          1)Authorizes counties to establish and implement a Sexual  
            Assault Felony Enforcement (SAFE) Team programs.  


          2)Provides that the mission of the SAFE Team program shall be to  
            reduce violent sexual assault offenses in the county through  
            proactive surveillance and arrest of habitual sex offenders,  
            and by the strict enforcement of sex offender registration  
            requirements.  


          3)States that the proactive surveillance and arrest authorized  
            for SAFE Team programs shall be conducted within the limits of  
            statutory and constitutional law.  


          4)Provides that the mission of the SAFE Team program shall also  
            be to provide community education on sex offender registration  
            requirements.  The goal of community education requirements is  
            to do all of the following:


             a)   Provide information to the public about ways to protect  
               themselves and families from sexual assault;
             b)   Emphasize the importance of using the knowledge of the  
               presence of registered sex offenders to enhance public  
               safety.


             c)   Explain that harassment or vigilantism against sex  
               offender registrants may cause them to disappear and  
               attempt to live without supervision, or to register as  
               transients, which defeat the purpose of sex offender  
               registration.  


          5)States that the regional SAFE Teams may consist of officers  
            and agents from the following law enforcement agencies:
             a)   Police departments;








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             b)   Sheriff's departments;


             c)   The Bureau of Investigations of the Office of the  
               District Attorney;


             d)   County probation departments;  


          6)Provides to the extent that these agencies have available  
            resources, SAFE Teams may consist of officers and agents of  
            the following agencies:
             a)   The Department of Justice;
             b)   The Department of the California Highway Patrol;


             c)   The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; and,


             d)    The Federal Bureau of Investigation.  


          7)Requires SAFE Team programs to have the following objectives:
             a)   To identify, monitor, arrest, and assist in the  
               prosecution of habitual sex offenders who violate the terms  
               and conditions of their probation or parole, who fail to  
               comply with sex offender registration requirements, or who  
               commit new sexual assault offenses;
             b)   To collect data to determine if the proactive law  
               enforcement procedures of this program are effective in  
               reducing violent sexual assaults; and,


             c)   To develop procedures for operating a  
               multi-jurisdictional task force.  


          AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY, this bill: 


          1)Authorized each county to establish and implement a SART  








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            program for a the purpose of providing a forum for interagency  
            cooperation and coordination, to assess and make  
            recommendations for the improvement in the local sexual  
            assault intervention, and to facilitate improved  
            communications and working relationships to effectively  
            address the problem of sexual assault in California.
          2)Stated that each SART may consist of representatives of  
            following public and private agencies or organizations:


             a)   Law enforcement agencies;
             b)   County district attorney's offices;


             c)   Rape crisis centers;


             d)   Local sexual assault forensic teams; and,


             e)   Crime laboratories.


          3)Provided that depending on local needs and goals, each SART  
            may consist of representatives of following public and private  
            agencies or organizations:
             a)   Child protective services;
             b)   Local victim and witness service centers;


             c)   County public health departments;


             d)   County mental health service departments; and,


             e)   Forensic interview centers.


          4)Required SART programs to have the following objectives:
             a)   Review of local sexual assault intervention undertaken  
               by all disciplines to promote effective intervention and  








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               best practices;
             b)   Assessment of relevant trends, including  
               drug-facilitated sexual assault, the incidence of predator  
               date rape, and human sex trafficking;


             c)   Evaluation of the cost-effectiveness and feasibility of  
               a per capita funding model for local sexual assault  
               forensic examination teams to achieve stability for this  
               component; and,


             d)   Evaluation of the effectiveness of individual agency and  
               interagency protocols and systems by conduction case  
               reviews of cases involving sexual assault.


          FISCAL EFFECT:  Unknown.  This bill has been keyed non-fiscal by  
          the Legislative Counsel. 


          COMMENTS:  According to the author, "Slow and steady progress  
          has been made over the past 40 years since the first rape crisis  
          center was established in Berkeley, California in 1971.  Law  
          enforcement officers, prosecutors, forensic scientists, sexual  
          assault forensic examination teams and rape crisis centers have  
          brought about positive change.  Given the endemic nature of  
          sexual assault in today's society, effectively organized SART  
          teams are essential. Existing and new SARTs will benefit from  
          statutory recognition by the California Legislature that these  
          multi-disciplinary teams have an important role and  
          responsibility in their county; and statutory policy direction  
          to assess and improve the local intervention system, collaborate  
          between agencies, and identify relevant trends such as drug  
          facilitated sexual assault, predator date rape, and human  
          trafficking.  This bill will ensure that sexual assault victims  
          receive compassionate and competent care. It will also ensure  
          the best possible outcomes for the victim and the criminal  
          justice system, and build community confidence in the local SART  
          intervention system."










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          Analysis Prepared by:                                             
                          Gregory Pagan / PUB. S. / (916) 319-3744  FN:  
          0001158