BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 100
                                                                  Page  1

          CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
          AB 100 (Cohn)
          As Amended June 21, 2005
          Majority vote
           
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
          |ASSEMBLY:  |     |(April 21,      |SENATE: |40-0 |(August 22,    |
          |           |     |2005)           |        |     |2005)          |
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
               (vote not relevant)

          Original Committee Reference:    PUB. S.

          SUMMARY  :  Extends provisions of current law which establish an  
          advisory council on battered women's shelters which the State  
          Department of Health Services (DHS) is required to consult on  
          related issues.

           The Senate amendments  delete the Assembly version of the bill  
          and instead extend the period in which an advisory council would  
          exist to consult with DHS in its administration of a  
          comprehensive grant program to battered women's shelters until  
          January 1, 2010.

           EXISTING LAW  :  


          1)Requires the Maternal and Child Health Branch of DHS to  
            administer a comprehensive shelter-based services grant  
            program to battered women's shelters, as specified. 


          2)Requires that, in implementing this grant program, DHS must  
            consult with an advisory council that shall remain in  
            existence until January 1, 2006. 


          3)Provides that the council shall be composed of up to13 voting  
            members and two nonvoting members appointed as follows: 


               a)     Seven members appointed by the Governor; 


               b)     Three members appointed by the Speaker of the  








                                                                  AB 100
                                                                  Page  2

                 Assembly; 


               c)     Three members appointed by the Senate Committee on  
                 Rules; and, 


             d)   Two nonvoting ex officio members who shall be Members of  
               the Legislature, one appointed by the Speaker of the  
               Assembly and one appointed by the Senate Committee on  
               Rules.  


           AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY  , this bill allowed any criminal case  
          in which the defendant is in custody, with the consent of the  
          court, all hearings, except as specified, to be held without the  
          defendant being physically present in the court room but  
          appearing by way of audio-video communication.

            FISCAL EFFECT  :  Unknown

           COMMENTS  :  According to the author, "This bill will help to  
          guarantee that domestic violence shelters receive the support  
          they need from the state.  It also ensures that this support is  
          applied in the best interest of victims of domestic violence.   
          These shelters can be the only sense of escape for victims of  
          domestic violence; we need to ensure that they are fully  
          prepared to help battered women."

           
          Analysis Prepared by  :    Steven Meinrath / PUB. S. / (916)  
          319-3744 


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