BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 2177 Page 1 CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS AB 2177 (Maienschein) As Amended August 2, 2016 Majority vote -------------------------------------------------------------------- |ASSEMBLY: |80-0 |(May 31, 2016) |SENATE: |37-0 |(August 11, | | | | | | |2016) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | -------------------------------------------------------------------- Original Committee Reference: PUB. S. SUMMARY: Establishes the Victims of Crime Act Funding Advisory Committee to assist the Office of Emergency Services (OES) in distributing federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funds. The Senate amendments provide that the members to be appointed by the Senate shall be appointed by the Senate Rules Committee, rather than by the President pro Tempore of the Senate. EXISTING LAW: 1)Establishes the OES. 2)Transferred the responsibilities of the now-defunct Office of Criminal Justice Planning to the OES. 3)Authorizes OES to expend funds for local domestic violence programs, subject to availability. AB 2177 Page 2 4)Establishes a Comprehensive Statewide Domestic Violence Program administered by the OES in order to provide financial and technical assistance to local domestic violence service providers. 5)Requires OES to consult with an advisory council in implementing the program. 6)Establishes an appointed Domestic Violence Advisory Council consisting of "experts in the provision of either direct or intervention services to victims of domestic violence and their children." 7)Includes in the council's membership: domestic-violence victims' advocates; battered-women service providers; representatives of women's organizations; law enforcement; at least one representative serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities; and other groups involved with domestic violence. 8)Requires the council and the OES to closely collaborate in developing funding priorities, framing the request for proposals, and soliciting proposals for domestic violence and sexual assault/rape crisis grant programs. AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY, this bill: 1)Established the Victims of Crime Act Funding Advisory Committee (advisory committee). 2)Required OES to seek the recommendation of the advisory committee regarding the distribution of federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funds received by the state before making a distribution of any kind of those funds. 3)Provided that the advisory committee shall be comprised of the AB 2177 Page 3 following 17 members: a) One law enforcement representative to be appointed by the Governor; b) Eight crime victims (four appointed by the Governor, and two each by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the Assembly); and, c) Eight representatives from victims' services organizations (four appointed by the Governor, and two each by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the Assembly). 4)Stated that the initial terms of membership on the advisory committee is two years, and that members are eligible to be reappointed twice. 5)Required the advisory committee to select a chairperson from its membership. 6)Stated that the members shall serve without compensation, except that members who are crime victims shall receive per diem. 7)Required the advisory committee to meet twice a year, as specified. 8)Required the advisory committee to comply with the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act. FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8 negligible state costs. COMMENTS: According to the author, "Facilitating public participation in the administration of governmental programs is AB 2177 Page 4 important to fulfilling the important goal of government transparency. When the doors of government are open and accessible to all, the efficacy of the programs it administers better reflect the needs of everyday citizens who stand to benefit from their administration."The federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funds administered by the Office of Emergency Services (OES) serve an exceedingly important purpose: they bring important and needed victims services to communities across the state where people have suffered trauma and loss as a result of crime. Last year the state of California was given over $230 million for distribution to victim services programs across the state. Current OES management of the VOCA funds includes use of a steering committee made of organizational leaders that meet privately and advise OES on both the grant application process and which programs should receive grants. Missing from this process are two important things: the voice of the people impacted by crime and a public, transparent process with a venue for greater community input. "Assembly Bill 2177 will create a VOCA Advisory Committee that will be comprised of not just service providers but also the very victims that VOCA funds are designed to serve. This body will meet publicly to provide a venue for community and stakeholder feedback that features the voice of survivors of crime. Victims of crime report that one of the most important parts of the healing process is the opportunity to be heard, an opportunity that can only begin to be fully realized when there is a venue, process and body that is representative of the needs of crime victims themselves." Please see the policy committee analysis for a full discussion of this bill. Analysis Prepared by: Sandy Uribe / PUB. S. / (916) 319-3744 FN: 0003896 AB 2177 Page 5