BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  SB 52
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   July 1, 2009

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Kevin De Leon, Chair

                     SB 52 (Correa) - As Amended:  June 26, 2009

          Policy Committee:                              Public  
          SafetyVote:  7-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              

           SUMMARY  

          This bill repeals and recasts the Medal of Valor Act and renames  
          it the "Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor Act." Specifically,  
          this bill: 

          1)Deletes the limit of five annual recommendations from the  
            Public Safety Medal of Valor Review Board (board) for the  
            Public Safety Medal of Valor, and authorizes the board to meet  
            more than once per year. 

          2)Allows the governor to award the Public Safety Medal of Valor  
            to more than one public safety officer per year. (Current law  
            limits the award to one per year absent exceptional  
            circumstances.)

          3)Adds the California Coalition of Law Enforcement Associations  
            and the California Professional Firefighters to the board,  
            which is currently composed of representatives of nine public  
            safety entities.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Minor absorbable state costs for the Department of Justice (DOJ)  
          to review additional candidates and produce additional medals.  
          Per current law, any board costs, including travel and meeting  
          expenses, must be covered by non state funds. 

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale  . This bill allows the board to evaluate additional  
            Medal of Valor candidates by allowing the board to meet more  








                                                                  SB 52
                                                                  Page  2

            than once a year, as well as to recognize additional  
            candidates beyond the current limitation of five awards. The  
            bill also updates the name of a board participant and adds the  
            California Coalition of law Enforcement Associations and the  
            California Professional Firefighters to the board.   

           2)Current law  authorizes the governor to annually present a  
            Medal of Valor to one or more public safety officers cited by  
            the Attorney General upon recommendation of the Medal of Valor  
            Review Board for extraordinary valor above and beyond the call  
            of duty. The Public Safety Medal of Valor is the highest state  
            award for valor given to public safety officers.


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Geoff Long / APPR. / (916) 319-2081