Sunday, October 10 was the deadline for final bill action by
Governor Newsom. Following is an update on major bills of
interest or concern for the Administration of Justice policy area
that were among the 800+ bills awaiting action by Governor
Gavin Newsom. For additional questions, please contact Stanicia
Boatner at sboatner@counties.org.
Both chambers of the Legislature adjourned before 9 p.m. last
Friday night, bringing an end to the 2021 session. Following
is an update on major bills of interest or concern for
the Administration of Justice policy area that are now among
the 800+ bills awaiting action by Governor Gavin Newsom.
CSAC staff will continue to monitor and advocate for County
priorities during the signing period, which ends October 10,
2021.
Yesterday, the Senate and Assembly Appropriations Committees met
to decide the fate of the suspense files. Combined, the Suspense
Hearings considered over 520 pieces of legislation.
Top Priority AOJ Bill in the Senate
The main public safety bill that CSAC has been very active on was
among this expansive list of legislation in the Senate.
Late last week, California Attorney General Rob Bonta released
four annual reports — as well as 10 new data dashboards — that
provide the public with statewide data on criminal justice
statistics in California. The reports, as well as the data behind
each report, are available on OpenJustice, a data-driven
initiative that works to increase access to criminal justice data
and support the development of public policy.
Last week, the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC)
released the Request for Applications for $9.6 million in
one-time infrastructure grants to help counties prepare for
housing young people who after July 1 will no longer be
transferred to the Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ). In
September, the Governor signed Senate Bill 823, which realigns
the responsibility of youthful offenders from the State to
counties.
The Council on Criminal Justice and Behavioral Health (CCJBH) is
offering training for counties that have implemented behavioral
health diversion services. Diversion services have the potential
to facilitate the best outcomes for people with behavioral health
needs and help relieve systemic, financial, and other pressures
on affected counties.
The Board of State and Community Corrections Board will meet
on April 8, 2021, at 10:00 am. The Board
Meeting will be live-streamed: To view the live stream, visit the
BSCC website homepage 10-15 minutes before the scheduled
start time.
The Council on Criminal Justice and Behavioral Health (CCJBH) is
offering training for counties that have implemented behavioral
health diversion services. Diversion services have the potential
to facilitate the best outcomes for people with behavioral health
needs and help relieve systemic, financial, and other pressures
on affected counties.
The Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) is hosting a
virtual Stakeholder Input Session on March 22, 2021, from
4 – 6 p.m. The session will focus on the
development of the $9.6 M Request for Application (RFA) for
the Youth Programs and Facilities Grant Program portion of
SB 823 (Chapter 337, Statutes of 2020).
In partnership with the Mental Health Services Oversight and
Accountability Commission (MHSOAC), the Council of State
Governments (CSG) Justice Center will be hosting a series of
online workshops in March & April for county teams interested in
implementing/improving screening and assessment for behavioral
health needs in jails. The first session, Identifying Goals and
Tools for Behavioral Health Screening, will be held on
Wednesday, March 10 from 12:00-2:30 pm.
The California Law Revision Commission (CLRC) meets via zoom on
Thursday, February 25 from 9:30 am – 12:30 pm.
Agenda topics include a status report on the 2021 Legislative
Program, a discussion of issues with regards to statutes made
obsolete by trial court restructuring and a discussion about
proposals for new study topics, procedures or other general
matters by commissioners. For additional information and a full
copy of the agenda, please click here.
Words to Deeds, partnering with MHSOAC, is presenting the 2nd in
a series of FREE, interactive Webinars highlighting the MHSOAC
Criminal Justice Innovation Incubator Collaboratives. This
Webinar,
Collaborative Problem Solving: Competency to Stand Trial in
Nevada County, will take place on Tuesday, February 9
from 2:00 – 3:30 pm.
