More information about bills, including updates, amendments, and upcoming hearing dates is available at http://leginfo.ca.gov/bilinfo.html

• Bill

  Successful Re-Entry & Access to Jobs Act

  SB 283

  Hancock

  What it does

  Would allow individuals, previously convicted of a drug felony, who meet all other eligibility rules to receive basic needs services, employment training and work supports through the federally-funded California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKS) and CalFresh programs, provided that they are complying with the conditions of probation or parole, or have successfully completed probation or parole.
  Cosponsors: Western Center for Law and Poverty, California Welfare Directors Association, DPA

  Support

  Further Information

  Current bill language

• Bill

  Drug Possession Sentencing

  SB 649

  Leno

  What it does

  Would revise the penalty for drug possession from a felony under current state law, to an alternate felony/misdemeanor (“wobbler”), providing judicial discretion in sentencing. The legislation will not change the penalties for sale, transportation, manufacture, or possession for sale. In thirteen states, the District of Columbia and the federal government, the penalty for simple drug possession is already a misdemeanor and those states have slightly lower crime rates than felony states and slightly higher rates of people entering drug treatment.
  Cosponsors: ACLU, DPA, NAACP, William C. Velasquez Institute, Friends Committee on Legislation

  Support

  Further Information

  Current bill language

• Bill

  Reduce Probation Caseloads

  AB 601

  Eggman

  What it does

  Would develop effective approaches to reduce probationer caseloads and incentivize successful probation completion.

  Support

  Further Information

  Current bill language

• Bill

  Restoration of Voting Rights for Persons Sentenced Under Realignment

  AB 938

  Weber

  What it does

  Would provide that a person is not excluded from voter eligibility if he or she is on postrelease community supervision or mandatory supervision.

  Support

  Further Information

  Current bill language

• Bill

  Automatic Medicaid Enrolment for Soon to be Released Jail Inmates

  AB 720

  Skinner

  What it does

  Would require all counties to enroll eligible jail inmates in federally funded Medicaid health insurance 30 days before their release so that they leave jail with health insurance so that they leave jail with health insurance and can access medical care, mental health care, and substance abuse treatment. Research has shown that health treatment reduces recidivism rates.

  Support

  Further Information

  Current bill language

• Bill

  Convictions: Expungement

  AB 651

  Bradford

  What it does

  Fills a critical gap in the law and helps to reduce barriers to reentry. Under AB 651, people who complete a local sentence under the new Realignment laws have an opportunity to petition for “set aside and dismissal” (also known as “expungement”), after completing a waiting period and demonstrating rehabilitation to the court.

  Support

  Further Information

  Current bill language

  Sample letter in support of AB 651

• Bill

  “Ban the Box”

  AB 218

  Dickinson

  What it does

  Helps level the playing field for qualified Californians to compete for jobs and promotes public safety by reducing unnecessary job barriers for the nearly seven million adult Californians with a criminal record. The bill applies to state agencies and city and county employers by delaying a criminal background check inquiry until later in the application process.

  Support

  1. Send in your letter of support on your organization’s letterhead to Assemblymember Dickinson via email Taryn.Kinney@asm.ca.gov or fax (916) 319-2107 (Attn: Taryn Kinney).
  2. Please cc: Michelle at mrodriguez@nelp.org for tracking purposes.

  Further Information

  Current bill language

  Sample letter in support of AB 218