BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2177
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GOVERNOR'S VETO
AB
2177 (Maienschein)
As Enrolled August 18, 2016
2/3 vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |80-0 |(May 31, 2016) |SENATE: |37-0 |(August 11, |
| | | | | |2016) |
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|ASSEMBLY: |78-0 |(August 15, | | | |
| | |2016) | | | |
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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.
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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.
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.
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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
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
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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
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
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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.
GOVERNOR'S VETO MESSAGE:
This bill establishes a new 17 member committee to assist the
Office of Emergency Services in distributing federal Victims of
Crime Act funds.
The federal Victims of Crime Act is a critical source of funding
for important programs in California, and transparency when
awarding these funds is crucial. I believe this bill, however,
is duplicative of existing efforts. The Budget Act made it
easier to track these funds by separating them from other
programmatic spending. Furthermore, the Office of Emergency
Services has already established a Victims of Crime Act Steering
Committee with the responsibility of receiving comments and
testimony from the public and to provide advice on the
distribution of grants.
Together, these actions serve the same purpose as envisioned by
this bill, therefore, it is unnecessary.
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Analysis Prepared by:
Sandy Uribe / PUB. S. / (916) 319-3744 FN:
0004961