BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                       



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          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                   SB 842|
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                                 THIRD READING


          Bill No:  SB 842
          Author:   Machado (D)
          Amended:  4/12/05
          Vote:     21

           
           SENATE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE  :  5-0, 4/5/05
          AYES:  Alquist, Cedillo, Margett, Migden, Romero
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Poochigian, Perata

           SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE  :  11-2, 5/26/05
          AYES:  Migden, Alarcon, Alquist, Battin, Dutton, Escutia,  
            Florez, Murray, Ortiz, Poochigian, Romero
          NOES:  Aanestad, Ashburn


           SUBJECT  :    Domestic violence:  batterers treatment  
          programs

           SOURCE  :     Author


           DIGEST  :    This bill requires the Attorney General to  
          conduct a study of batterers treatment programs and report  
          its findings to the Legislature by June 30, 2008.

           ANALYSIS  :    Existing law requires persons convicted of a  
          crime of domestic violence who are granted probation to  
          successfully complete a batterer's treatment program.

          This bill requires the Attorney General (AG) to conduct a  
          study of attendance, enrollment, and reoffense rates among  
          individuals assigned to batterer's treatment programs.  The  
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          study shall review data collected from five counties,  
          including one rural, one urban, one Northern California,  
          and one Southern California county, and compare policies  
          regarding attendance, enrollment, periodic reporting to  
          probation or courts, and responses to batterer's treatment  
          program noncompletion.  The AG shall report to the  
          Legislature by June 30, 2008, on the results of this study.  


           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  Yes    
          Local:  Yes

          According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:

                          Fiscal Impact (in thousands)

             Major Provisions                2005-06     2006-07     
             2007-08               Fund  

            Batterers treatment           $260      $254       
            General
            study

           SUPPORT  :   (Verified  5/27/05)

          California Alliance Against Domestic Violence


           ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT  :    The author states:

            "SB 842 requires local cities and counties to report,  
            on a monthly basis, to the Attorney General the number  
            of persons who are ordered to enroll in, who have  
            enrolled, and who have completed a batterer  
            intervention program.  The bill also requires the  
            Attorney General to report these numbers, on an annual  
            basis, to the Legislature?(T)here is conflicting  
            research on the value of these programs in meeting  
            these goals.  Some studies suggest that batterer  
            intervention programs can reduce instances of violence  
            and controlling behavior for certain populations  
            ('stake-in-conformity' populations, or those who have a  
            stake in remaining a part of society through their  
            employment or social status).  Other studies have  







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            demonstrated no change in recidivism rates between  
            control and experimental groups?"


          RJG:mel  5/27/05   Senate Floor Analyses 

                         SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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