CA AB 134
Title: Public safety trailer bill.
Author: House Budget Committee
Summary
AB 134, Committee on Budget. Public safety trailer bill. (1) Existing law, the California Public Records Act, authorizes the inspection and copying of any public record except where specifically prohibited by law. Existing law, with specified exemptions, makes confidential and exempts from disclosure the personnel records of peace officers and custodial records and certain other records maintained by their employing agencies. Existing law provides that this exemption from disclosure does not apply to investigations of these officers or their employing agencies and related proceedings conducted by a grand jury, a district attorney’s office, or the Attorney General’s office.Existing law establishes the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) to, among other functions, certify the eligibility of those persons appointed as peace officers throughout the state. Existing law establishes the Peace Officer Standards Accountability Division within POST to review investigations conducted by law enforcement agencies and to conduct additional investigations into serious misconduct that may provide grounds for suspension or revocation of a peace officer’s certification.This bill would exempt from the aforementioned confidentiality provisions, investigations of peace officers and custodial officers or their employing agencies and related proceedings conducted by POST. This bill would provide that, until January 1, 2027, specified records in the possession of POST related to these functions are not public records subject to disclosure, although those same records may be subject to disclosure by the agency that employs or previously employed the peace officer.Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest.This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.(2) Existing law requires the Department of Justice, on a monthly basis, to review the records in the statewide criminal justice databases and identify persons who are eligible for arrest record relief and automatic conviction record relief. Commencing on July 1, 2023, existing law makes arrest record relief available to a person who has been arrested for a felony, including a felony punishable in the state prison, as specified. Commencing on July 1, 2023, existing law makes conviction record relief available for a defendant convicted, on or after January 1, 2005, of a felony for which they did not complete probation without revocation if the defendant appears to have completed all terms of incarceration, probation, mandatory supervision, postrelease community supervision, and parole, and a period of 4 years has elapsed during which the defendant was not convicted of a new felony offense, except as specified.This bill would delay the implementation of these provisions until July 1, 2024. (3) Existing law authorizes the court, in its discretion and in the interest of justice in specified cases, to permit the defendant to withdraw their plea of guilty or nolo contendere and enter a plea of not guilty, or, if the defendant has been convicted after a plea of not guilty, to set aside the verdict of guilty, and to dismiss the accusations or information against the defendant and release the defendant from all penalties and disabilities resulting from the offense for which they have been convicted. Existing law authorizes a person who was under 18 years of age at the time of commission of a misdemeanor to, in specified circumstances, petition the court for an order sealing the record of conviction and other official records in the case. Existing law authorizes the court to require the defendant or petitioner in these circumstances to reimburse the court, city, and county for actual costs of services rendered under these provisions.Thi
Status
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 59. Noes 17.).
Bill Documents
CA AB 134 - 06/27/23 - Enrolled
06/27/23 - CA AB 134 (06/27/23 - Enrolled)
CA AB 134 - 06/24/23 - Amended Senate
06/24/23 - CA AB 134 (06/24/23 - Amended Senate)
CA AB 134 - 02/01/23 - Amended Assembly
02/01/23 - CA AB 134 (02/01/23 - Amended Assembly)
CA AB 134 - 01/09/23 - Introduced
01/09/23 - CA AB 134 (01/09/23 - Introduced)