BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 906
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 4, 2011

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Felipe Fuentes, Chair

                   AB 906 (Galgiani) - As Amended:  April 6, 2011 

          Policy Committee:                              JudiciaryVote:9-0 
          (Consent)

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program: 
          Yes    Reimbursable:              Yes

           SUMMARY  

          This bill expands eligibility to participate in the state's Safe 
          at Home address confidentiality program, administered by the 
          Secretary of State (SOS), to include any witness who has 
          testified in a murder trial. 

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          It is unknown how many witnesses would choose to participate in 
          the Safe at Home program. According to the SOS, the annual GF 
          cost of the program, currently with 2,735 participants, is 
          $1.041 million, or an average cost of $381 per participant. At 
          this cost, if the program were to grow by only 400 new 
          participants, the total cost would exceed $150,000. Regardless 
          of the number of participants, the SOS would likely require two 
          staff positions, at a cost of $150,000 to establish this new 
          category of program participant.

           COMMENTS  

           1)Background and Purpose . The Safe at Home program, originally 
            established by SB 489 (Alpert)/Chapter 1005 of 1998 and 
            expanded and extended several times thereafter, allows victims 
            of domestic violence, stalking victims, as well as 
            reproductive health care services providers and their 
            employees, volunteers, and patients, to apply to the SOS for 
            an alternate address to be used in public records.  The 
            program is intended to enable state and local agencies to 
            respond to requests for public records without disclosing the 
            names or locations of program participants. This bill seeks to 
            protect the confidentiality of addresses of witnesses who have 








                                                                  AB 906
                                                                  Page  2

            testified in a murder trial by bringing such individuals 
            within the protective umbrella of the Safe at Home program. 
            Supporters contend that such witnesses are often 
            understandably fearful that those they testify against may 
            acquire access to their home address and exact revenge. 

            The author of the bill notes that, "it makes sense that 
            witnesses who testified in murder trials should also be 
            allowed to keep their actual physical location confidential in 
            the hopes of relieving their fears of retribution for their 
            testimony."

           2)Prior Legislation  . SB 1233 (Oropeza)/Chapter 326 of 2010 
            removed the sunset date on the Safe at Home program.  

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081