BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair
845 (Bass)
Hearing Date: 07/23/2009 Amended: 06/25/2009
Consultant: Jacqueline Wong-HernandezPolicy Vote: Public Safety
7-0
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BILL SUMMARY: AB 845 extends the sunset on the Reentry Advisory
Committee (RAC) of the Departments of Corrections and
Rehabilitation (CDCR) to January 1, 2016. This bill also makes
the following changes to RAC:
1) Expands membership to include a public defender or
private defense attorney, a representative of a
community-based organization, and a representative of a
faith-based organization, as specified.
2) Requires that RAC meet not less frequently than each
quarter, meet at the call of the secretary, hold its
meetings at a time and location convenient to the public,
open all meetings to the public, and provide that members
shall serve without compensation.
3) Requires RAC to issue advisory reports, as specified,
not less frequently than annually, to the Governor and the
Legislature, and to make these reports available to the
public.
4) Directs RAC to create a comprehensive resource guide for
community-based organizations, faith-based organizations,
service providers, law enforcement agencies, and industry
and governmental entities working to address the issues of
reentry through programs, service delivery, or both
programs and service delivery. The guide must also detail
the availability of private, city, county, state, and
federal resources for former offenders.
5) Requires RAC to immediately apply for grant funding
which may be available through the federal Second Chance
Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-199).
6) Requires RAC to develop a comprehensive strategic
reentry plan containing annual and five-year performance
goals intended to reduce the rate of recidivism. Further
requires RAC to submit an annual report to the Legislature
and the U.S. Attorney General detailing the progress of
grantees towards achieving strategic performance outcomes
and describing other activities conducted by grantees to
increase the success rates of the reentry population, such
as programs that foster effective risk management and
treatment programming, offender accountability, and
community and victim participation.
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Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 Fund
Extends RAC sunset $50
$100 General
New RAC reports $50 $100
$100 General
New RAC duties Unknown, likely
substantial staffing costs General
New meeting requirements **Unknown, potentially
significant** General
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Page 2
AB 845 (Bass)
STAFF COMMENTS: This bill meets the criteria for referral to the
Suspense File.
This bill would would incur substantial state costs by extending
the sunset on RAC and imposing new duties on this committee and
its supporting staff. Extending the sunset on this program, as
it is currently operated, would cost $100,000 per year ($500,000
total incurred by this bill). Currently, CDCR contracts with UC
Davis for support, coordination, and facilitation of the RAC
meetings at a cost of $100,000 per fiscal year. It is also
likely that, due the RAC meetings will now need to be made
available for public attendance, the cost of facilitating those
meetings will increase.
This bill expands RAC membership, which will require increased
coordination and management, but also provides that members will
serve without compenstion. Under existing statute, members are
not paid but are reimbursed for travel expenses. This bill
deletes a provision on statute that specifically provides for
travel reimbursement, but does not expressly prohibit such
reimbursement.
This bill would impose additional duties on RAC, which would
almost certainly become the responsibility of CDCR staff who
support the committee. While it is possible that the volunteer
RAC members will create the specified comprehensive resource
guide, apply for the required federal grants, author the
strategic reentry plan and reports to the Leglisature and U.S.
Attorney General on the grants, and prepare an annual reentry
advisory report to the legislature, it is unlikely. RAC is
currently supported by CDCR and contracted staff. These
additional responsibilities are extensive, and require
significant time and expertise.
CDCR estimates that the increased responsibilities of the RAC
imposed by this bill will require seven additional staff to to
seek out, recommend, and complete applications for federal
funds; and, report on those funds. CDCR believes there will be
additional costs of approximately $100,000 for the new annual
report to the Legislature. While the exact cost of these new
board duties is unclear, the duties are of a fairly similar
scope to the CDCR-managed, Sex Offender Management Board (SOMB)
which receives $490,000 GF, annually. SOMB has nine members who
also serve without compensation, but incur costs because the
board retains a support staff. It is likely that the duties
imposed by this bill could necessitate an budget augmentation to
RAC of hundreds of thousands of dollars. This cost might be
offset by federal funding to the degree that it is achieved and
allowed to be spent on RAC.