BILL ANALYSIS
AB 552
Page 1
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 552 (Solorio)
As Amended April 6, 2010
2/3 vote. Urgency
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|ASSEMBLY: | |(June 3, 2009) |SENATE: |30-0 |(May 10, 2010) |
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(vote not relevant)
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|COMMITTEE VOTE: |5-0 |(May 20, 2010) |RECOMMENDATION: |Concur |
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Original Committee Reference: HIGHER ED.
SUMMARY: Modifies the funding authority for new state prison beds
constructed pursuant to the Public Safety and Offender
Rehabilitation Services Act of 2007.
The Senate amendments delete the Assembly version of this bill and
instead:
1)Authorize the California Department of Corrections and
Rehabilitation (CDCR) to develop beds and treatment space to
serve inmates requiring mental health or medical services.
2)Provide that any beds developed with a medical or mental health
purpose shall be supported with rehabilitative programming, as
defined, that is consistent with the medical or mental health
services needed by the inmates.
3)Authorize CDCR to renovate existing buildings at existing
facilities for medical, dental and mental health treatment, as
well as design, construct, or renovate any ancillary improvements
as specified.
4)Modify the calculation of design-build project augmentations from
construction funds.
5)Revise the Phase II conditional language requiring that at least
4,000 beds from Phase I be "under construction" to instead
AB 552
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require that at least 4,000 beds be "established by the by State
Public Works Board."
EXISTING LAW :
1)Authorizes $6.2 billion in lease-revenue bond financing for
construction of 40,000 new state prison beds and $1.2 billion for
an estimated 13,000 new county jail beds, phased-in over time and
contingent upon a series of construction and rehabilitation
program implementation benchmarks.
2)Authorizes CDCR to design, construct, or renovate housing units,
support buildings, and programming space in order to add up to
12,000 beds at facilities under its jurisdiction. CDCR is
required to complete site assessments at facilities at which it
intends to construct or renovate additional housing units,
support buildings, and programming space. CDCR may use the
funding provided to complete these site assessments. After
completing these site assessments, the department shall define
the scope and cost of each project.
3)Provides that the authority described above may be used to
develop new beds including appropriate programmatic space.
4)Requires that any new beds constructed pursuant to the provisions
described above shall be supported by rehabilitative programming
for inmates, including, but not limited to, education, vocational
programs, substance abuse treatment programs, employment
programs, and prerelease planning.
5)Provides that the purpose of beds constructed pursuant to the
provisions described above is to replace the temporary beds
currently in use, and they are not intended to house additional
inmates. For the purposes of this section, 'temporary beds'
shall be defined as those that are placed in gymnasiums,
classrooms, hallways, or other public spaces that were not
constructed for the purpose of housing inmates.
AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY, this bill established the Commission on
Adequate Funding for Career Technical and Vocational Education at
the California Community Colleges, funded through private funds,
comprised of specified members with specified powers and duties.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
AB 552
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COMMENTS : According to the author, "CDCR and the Prison Court
Receiver have come to resolution on a plan regarding the
appropriate number of new medical and mental health beds needed in
our state's adult prison system. AB 552 is an urgency bill that
would help implement that resolution.
"AB 552 would allow AB 900 bond funding, previously authorized for
building new 'infill beds,' to also be used to build beds and
treatment spaces serving inmates with medical and mental health
needs. It also authorizes bond money expenditure for the
renovation of facilities.
"Passage of this legislation would allow 1,722 medical and mental
health beds to be constructed at an existing facility site in
Stockton.
"As you would anticipate, the build out at the Stockton facility
will lead to the creation of many jobs to help improve the economy.
"Not only will this new capacity ensure compliance with existing
court concerns related to medical care and mental health care, but
it will free up space at existing prison facilities for
rehabilitative services for other inmates.
"Also, the negotiated construction plan will fully satisfy one of
the primary requirements necessary to achieving the goal of
restoring control of prison health care to the State as outlined in
the Federal Receiver's Turnaround Plan of Action. Enactment of AB
552 will represent a significant step toward the conclusion of the
Federal Receivership."
Analysis Prepared by : Gabriel Caswell / PUB. S. / (916) 319-3744
FN: 0004437