BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 519
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SB
519 (Hancock)
As Amended September 4, 2015
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE: 40-0
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|Committee |Votes|Ayes |Noes |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|----------------+-----+-----------------------+---------------------|
|Public Safety |7-0 |Quirk, Melendez, | |
| | |Jones-Sawyer, Lackey, | |
| | |Lopez, Low, Santiago | |
| | | | |
|----------------+-----+-----------------------+---------------------|
|Appropriations |17-0 |Gomez, Bigelow, Bloom, | |
| | |Bonta, Calderon, | |
| | |Chang, Nazarian, | |
| | |Eggman, Gallagher, | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | |Eduardo Garcia, | |
| | |Holden, Jones, Quirk, | |
| | |Rendon, Wagner, Weber, | |
| | |Wood | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
SB 519
Page 2
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SUMMARY: Requires the board of parole hearings (BPH) to
complete all youthful offender parole hearings by specified
dates. Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires the BPH to complete all youthful offender parole
hearings for eligible individuals serving indeterminate life
terms by January 1, 2018.
2)Requires the BPH to complete all youthful offender parole
hearings for eligible individuals serving determinate terms by
December 31, 2021, and to conduct requisite consultations by
January 1, 2018.
3)Makes these provisions operative contingent upon the enactment
of SB 261 (Hancock) of the current legislative session, which
expands the youth offender parole process.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Establishes a youth offender parole hearing which is a hearing
by the BPH for the purpose of reviewing the parole suitability
of any prisoner who was under 18 years of age at the time of
his or her controlling offense.
2)Provides the following parole mechanism for a person who was
convicted of a controlling offense that was committed before
the person had attained 18 years of age:
a) If the controlling offense was a determinate sentence
SB 519
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the offender shall be eligible for release after 15 years;
b) If the controlling offense was a life term less than 25
years then the person is eligible for release after 20
years; and,
c) If the controlling offense was a life term of 25 years
to life then the person is eligible for release after 25
years.
3)Sets a deadline of July 1, 2015, for BPH to complete all youth
offender parole hearings for individuals who become entitled
to have their parole suitability considered at a youth
offender parole hearing on the effective date of the statute
that established youth offender parole hearings.
4)Provides that in reviewing a prisoner's suitability for parole
in a youthful offender parole hearing, the BPH shall give
great weight to the diminished culpability of juveniles as
compared to adults, the hallmark features of youth, and any
subsequent growth and increased maturity of the prisoner in
accordance with relevant case law.
FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown. This bill is keyed non-fiscal by the
Legislative Counsel.
COMMENTS: According to the author, "SB 519 is a technical
cleanup bill for SB 261 by Senator Hancock, which was approved
by the Assembly on a bipartisan vote. The Administration has
some concerns with the implementation deadlines in that bill.
SB 519 addresses the Administration's concern by adding an
additional six months to that bill's deadlines."
SB 519
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Analysis Prepared by:
Sandy Uribe / PUB. S. / (916) 319-3744 FN:
0002135