BILL NUMBER: SB 279 CHAPTERED 04/22/99 CHAPTER 16 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE APRIL 22, 1999 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR APRIL 22, 1999 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY APRIL 19, 1999 PASSED THE SENATE MARCH 23, 1999 AMENDED IN SENATE MARCH 18, 1999 AMENDED IN SENATE MARCH 10, 1999 INTRODUCED BY Senator Dunn (Coauthors: Senators Escutia, McPherson, Monteith, Polanco, and Rainey) FEBRUARY 2, 1999 An act to amend Section 2962 of the Penal Code, relating to prisons, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 279, Dunn. Prisons. Existing law provides that if a prisoner has a severe mental disorder that is not in remission or cannot be kept in remission without treatment and it was a factor in the commission of one of a list of specified crimes for which the prisoner was sentenced to prison, and the prisoner has been in treatment for the severe mental disorder for 90 days or more within the year prior to the prisoner's parole or release, the prisoner, as a condition of his or her parole, shall be treated by the State Department of Mental Health. The crimes to which this provision applies include arson of a structure, forest land, or property that causes great bodily injury and crimes in which the prisoner used force or violence, or caused serious bodily injury, as defined. This bill would add to the list of crimes which may qualify such a person, for treatment by the State Department of Mental Health (1) the actual or attempted arson of a structure, forest land, or property where the act posed a substantial danger of physical harm to others, and (2) a crime in which the perpetrator expressly or impliedly threatened another with the use of force or violence likely to produce substantial physical harm in such a manner that a reasonable person would believe and expect that the force or violence would be used. These provisions would apply to any person committed for treatment by the State Department of Mental Health on or after July 1, 1986. The bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 2962 of the Penal Code is amended to read: 2962. As a condition of parole, a prisoner who meets the following criteria shall be required to be treated by the State Department of Mental Health, and the State Department of Mental Health shall provide the necessary treatment: (a) The prisoner has a severe mental disorder that is not in remission or cannot be kept in remission without treatment. The term "severe mental disorder" means an illness or disease or condition that substantially impairs the person's thought, perception of reality, emotional process, or judgment; or which grossly impairs behavior; or that demonstrates evidence of an acute brain syndrome for which prompt remission, in the absence of treatment, is unlikely. The term "severe mental disorder" as used in this section does not include a personality or adjustment disorder, epilepsy, mental retardation or other developmental disabilities, or addiction to or abuse of intoxicating substances. The term "remission" means a finding that the overt signs and symptoms of the severe mental disorder are controlled either by psychotropic medication or psychosocial support. A person "cannot be kept in remission without treatment" if during the year prior to the question being before the Board of Prison Terms or a trial court, he or she has been in remission and he or she has been physically violent, except in self-defense, or he or she has made a serious threat of substantial physical harm upon the person of another so as to cause the target of the threat to reasonably fear for his or her safety or the safety of his or her immediate family, or he or she has intentionally caused property damage, or he or she has not voluntarily followed the treatment plan. In determining if a person has voluntarily followed the treatment plan, the standard shall be whether the person has acted as a reasonable person would in following the treatment plan. (b) The severe mental disorder was one of the causes of or was an aggravating factor in the commission of a crime for which the prisoner was sentenced to prison. (c) The prisoner has been in treatment for the severe mental disorder for 90 days or more within the year prior to the prisoner's parole or release. (d) (1) Prior to release on parole, the person in charge of treating the prisoner and a practicing psychiatrist or psychologist from the State Department of Mental Health have evaluated the prisoner at a facility of the Department of Corrections, and a chief psychiatrist of the Department of Corrections has certified to the Board of Prison Terms that the prisoner has a severe mental disorder, that the disorder is not in remission, or cannot be kept in remission without treatment, that the severe mental disorder was one of the causes or was an aggravating factor in the prisoner's criminal behavior, that the prisoner has been in treatment for the severe mental disorder for 90 days or more within the year prior to his or her parole release day, and that by reason of his or her severe mental disorder the prisoner represents a substantial danger of physical harm to others. For prisoners being treated by the State Department of Mental Health pursuant to Section 2684, the certification shall be by a chief psychiatrist of the Department of Corrections, and the evaluation shall be done at a state hospital by the person at the state hospital in charge of treating the prisoner and a practicing psychiatrist or psychologist from the Department of Corrections. (2) If the professionals doing the evaluation pursuant to paragraph (1) do not concur that (A) the prisoner has a severe mental disorder, (B) that the disorder is not in remission or cannot be kept in remission without treatment, or (C) that the severe mental disorder was a cause of, or aggravated, the prisoner's criminal behavior, and a chief psychiatrist has certified the prisoner to the Board of Prison Terms pursuant to this paragraph, then the Board of Prison Terms shall order a further examination by two independent professionals, as provided for in Section 2978. (3) Only if both independent professionals who evaluate the prisoner pursuant to paragraph (2) concur with the chief psychiatrist' s certification of the issues described in paragraph (2), shall this subdivision be applicable to the prisoner. The professionals appointed pursuant to Section 2978 shall inform the prisoner that the purpose of their examination is not treatment but to determine if the prisoner meets certain criteria to be involuntarily treated as a mentally disordered offender. It is not required that the prisoner appreciate or understand that information. (e) The crime referred to in subdivision (b) meets both of the following criteria: (1) The defendant received a determinate sentence pursuant to Section 1170 for the crime. (2) The crime is one of the following: (A) Voluntary manslaughter. (B) Mayhem. (C) Kidnapping in violation of Section 207. (D) Any robbery wherein it was charged and proved that the defendant personally used a deadly or dangerous weapon, as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 12022, in the commission of that robbery. (E) Carjacking, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 215, if it is charged and proved that the defendant personally used a deadly or dangerous weapon, as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 12022, in the commission of the carjacking. (F) Rape, as defined in paragraph (2) or (6) of subdivision (a) of Section 261 or paragraph (1) or (4) of subdivision (a) of Section 262. (G) Sodomy by force, violence, duress, menace, or fear of immediate and unlawful bodily injury on the victim or another person. (H) Oral copulation by force, violence, duress, menace, or fear of immediate and unlawful bodily injury on the victim or another person. (I) Lewd acts on a child under the age of 14 years in violation of Section 288. (J) Continuous sexual abuse in violation of Section 288.5. (K) The offense described in subdivision (a) of Section 289 where the act was accomplished against the victim's will by force, violence, duress, menace, or fear of immediate and unlawful bodily injury on the victim or another person. (L) Arson in violation of subdivision (a) of Section 451, or arson in violation of any other provision of Section 451 or in violation of Section 455 where the act posed a substantial danger of physical harm to others. (M) Any felony in which the defendant used a firearm which use was charged and proved as provided in Section 12022.5, 12022.53, or 12022.55. (N) A violation of Section 12308. (O) Attempted murder. (P) A crime not enumerated in subparagraph (A) to (O), inclusive, in which the prisoner used force or violence, or caused serious bodily injury as defined in paragraph (4) of subdivision (f) of Section 243. (Q) A crime in which the perpetrator expressly or impliedly threatened another with the use of force or violence likely to produce substantial physical harm in such a manner that a reasonable person would believe and expect that the force or violence would be used. For purposes of this subparagraph, substantial physical harm shall not require proof that the threatened act was likely to cause great or serious bodily injury. (f) As used in this chapter, "substantial danger of physical harm" does not require proof of a recent overt act. SEC. 2. The provisions of this act shall apply to any person committed pursuant to Article 4 (commencing with Section 2960) of Chapter 7 of Title 1 of Part 3 of the Penal Code on or after July 1, 1986. SEC. 3. This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are: In order to prevent the immediate release, and to guarantee the mental health treatment of severely mentally ill offenders who are affected by the holding of People v. Anzalone (1999) 19 Cal.4th 1074, it is necessary that this act take effect immediately.