BILL ANALYSIS
------------------------------------------------------------
|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 671|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|1020 N Street, Suite 524 | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
|327-4478 | |
------------------------------------------------------------
THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 671
Author: Krekorian (D), et al
Amended: 5/27/09 in Assembly
Vote: 21
SENATE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE : 7-0, 7/14/09
AYES: Leno, Benoit, Cedillo, Hancock, Huff, Steinberg,
Wright
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 76-0, 6/2/09 (Consent) - See last page for
vote
SUBJECT : Peace officers: Golden Shield Award
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill (1) creates a new chapter in the Penal
Code known as the California Golden Shield Act, (2)
requires that the Governor annually award, and present in
the name of the State of California, a Golden Shield Award
of appropriate design, with ribbons and appurtenances, to
the next of kin of, or immediate family members of, every
public safety officer who, while serving under competent
authority in any capacity, has been killed in the line of
duty in that year, and (3) defines, for the purposes of
this chapter, "public safety officer" as a person serving a
public agency, with or without compensation, as a
firefighter, law enforcement officer, including a
CONTINUED
AB 671
Page
2
corrections or court officer or a civil defense officer, or
emergency services officer.
ANALYSIS : Existing law provides that the Governor may
annually present in the name of the State of California a
Medal of Valor to one or more public safety officers cited
by the Attorney General upon the recommendation of the
Medal of Valor Review Board (Board) for extraordinary valor
above and beyond the call of duty. The Public Safety Medal
of Valor will be the highest state award for valor given to
public safety officers. (Section 3402 of the Government
Code)
Existing law creates the "Medal of Valor Review Board,"
comprised of representatives or their designees, selected
by the following organizations: (1) California Peace
Officers' Association, (2) California Correctional Peace
Officers Association, (3) California State Firefighters'
Association, (4) Peace Officers Research Association of
California, (5) California Police Chiefs' Association, (6)
California Association of Highway Patrolmen, (7) California
State Sheriffs' Association, (8) California Union of Safety
Employees, and (9) a group representing emergency medical
technicians and paramedics, to be selected by the Board.
(Section 3403 of the Government Code)
Existing law provides that the Board shall meet at the call
of the Chair, and may not meet more than once each year. A
majority of the members of the board shall constitute a
quorum to conduct business, and may establish by majority
vote any other rule for the conduct of the Board's
business. (Section 3404 (a) and (b) of the Government
Code)
Existing law requires the Board to recommend candidates for
the Medal of Valor, once per year, to the Attorney General.
In a given year, the Board shall not be required to
recommend any candidates but may not recommend more than
five candidates. (Section 3404 (c) of the Government Code
)
Existing law authorizes the Board to receive donations
which shall be used to pay any costs associated with
holding its annual meeting and having witnesses, and
AB 671
Page
3
requires the cost of production of the medals to be funded
from existing resources within the Department of Justice.
(Section 3405 of the Government Code)
This bill creates a new chapter in the Penal Code and
states that this chapter shall be known and may be cited as
the California Golden Shield Act.
This bill requires that the Governor annually award, and
present in the name of the State of California, a Golden
Shield Award of appropriate design, with ribbons and
appurtenances, to the next of kin of, or immediate family
members of, every public safety officer who, while serving
under competent authority in any capacity, has been killed
in the line of duty in that year.
This bill defines, for the purposes of this chapter,
"public safety officer" as a person serving a public
agency, with or without compensation, as a firefighter, law
enforcement officer, or emergency services officer. "Law
enforcement officer" includes a person who is a corrections
or court officer or a civil defense officer.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/17/09)
Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs
California Correctional Peace Officers Association
California Correctional Supervisors Organization
California Professional Firefighters
California State Sheriffs' Association
California Statewide Law Enforcement Association
CDF Firefighters Local 2881
Crime Victims United of California
Glendale Fire Fighters' Association
Los Angeles County Probation Officers Union
Riverside Sheriffs Association
United Firefighters of Los Angeles City
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author:
AB 671
Page
4
"Current law provides the opportunity for the Governor to
annually present the Medal of Valor award, on behalf of
the State, to public safety officers for extraordinary
valor above and beyond the call of duty, as recognized by
the Attorney General and the Medal of Valor Review Board.
However, no official state honorarium currently exists
to honor public safety officers killed in the line of
duty.
"Each year in this country, close to 150 officers are
killed in the line of duty, leaving their families and
loved ones alone to cope with the tragic loss. Already
in 2009, six officers in California have been killed on
the job. Last year, thirteen officers were killed on
duty in California, second only to Texas, where fourteen
died in 2008. Scores more are injured every day and
year, creating a vast pool of sorrow in which surviving
family members and friends are left without a proper way
to honor their fallen loved ones. Despite the persistent
dangers inherent in their job, public safety officers in
California do not yet have an official statewide
honorific to recognize the deceased who have given their
lives to their job.
"The California Golden Shield Act would require the
Governor, for the first time in the state's history, to
honor, on behalf of the State, public safety officers
killed in the line of duty. This is a fitting
acknowledgement for our public safety officers who have
given their all to keep California's citizens safe. It
is essential that the State of California appropriately
recognize and honor their service and their sacrifice."
The California Statewide Law Enforcement Association
(CSLEA) states: "AB 671 will create the Golden Shield
Award to honor those who willingly put themselves at risk
every day. Despite the persistent dangers inherent in
their job, public safety officers in California do not yet
have a statewide honor to recognize the deceased who have
given their lives to their job. CSLEA believes the Golden
Shield Award is a fitting acknowledgement for our public
safety officers who have given their all to keep
California's citizens safe."
AB 671
Page
5
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Adams, Ammiano, Anderson, Arambula, Beall, Tom
Berryhill, Blakeslee, Blumenfield, Brownley, Buchanan,
Caballero, Charles Calderon, Carter, Chesbro, Conway,
Cook, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De Leon, DeVore, Duvall,
Emmerson, Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fletcher, Fong, Fuentes,
Fuller, Furutani, Gaines, Galgiani, Garrick, Gilmore,
Hagman, Harkey, Hayashi, Hernandez, Hill, Huber, Huffman,
Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Krekorian, Lieu, Logue, Bonnie
Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Miller, Monning, Nava, Nestande,
Niello, Nielsen, John A. Perez, V. Manuel Perez,
Portantino, Price, Ruskin, Salas, Saldana, Silva,
Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, Audra Strickland, Swanson,
Torlakson, Torres, Torrico, Tran, Villines, Yamada
NO VOTE RECORDED: Bill Berryhill, Block, Hall, Bass
RJG:mw 8/17/09 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
**** END ****