BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 828
Page 1
Date of Hearing: August 6, 2014
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mike Gatto, Chair
SB 828 (Lieu) - As Amended: August 4, 2014
Policy Committee: Public
SafetyVote:7-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill prohibits the state from providing material support,
participation, or assistance to any request from a federal
agency to collect electronic data, or metadata, as defined, of
any person if the state has knowledge the request constitutes an
illegal or unconstitutional collection of electronic data or
metadata.
FISCAL EFFECT
Negligible.
COMMENTS
1)Rationale. The intent of this bill is to make clear California
may not help the NSA in any illegal or unconstitutional
collection of electronic data or metadata. According to the
author, "To collect electronic and metadata information, the
NSA sometimes relies upon services provided by the state. In
order to prevent taxpayers' money from going towards violating
their own rights, this bill would ban state agencies from
giving any material support, participation or assistance to
any federal agency to collect electronic or metadata of any
person, unless there has been a warrant issued that
specifically describes the person, place and thing to be
searched or seized.
"This bill would make it the clear policy of the state to
refuse material support, participation, or assistance to any
federal agency attempting the illegal and unconstitutional
collection of electronic data or metadata, without consent, of
SB 828
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any person not based on a warrant that particularly describes
the person, place, and thing to be searched or seized, or in
accordance with judicially recognized exceptions to warrant
requirements."
2)Support . According to the Tenth Amendment Center, "While
California cannot bar the NSA from operating within its
borders, it does not have to cooperate with or support the
agency. The well-established anti-commandeering doctrine,
holding that the federal government cannot coerce or compel
states to implement or enforce federal regulations or
programs, puts SB 828 on firm legal footing."
3)Opposition . The California State Sheriffs' Association states,
"Prohibiting the state from aiding and abetting federal
activity that would otherwise be illegal or unconstitutional
seems unnecessary as we cannot imagine that such behavior is
not already proscribed."
Analysis Prepared by : Geoff Long / APPR. / (916) 319-2081