Today's Law As Amended


Bill PDF |Add To My Favorites | print page

AB-2298 Criminal gangs.(2015-2016)



As Amends the Law Today


SECTION 1.

 Section 70615 of the Government Code is amended to read:

70615.
 The fee for filing any of the following appeals to the superior court is twenty-five dollars ($25):
(a) An appeal of a local agency’s decision regarding an administrative fine or penalty under Section 53069.4.
(b) An appeal under Section 40230 of the Vehicle Code of an administrative agency’s decision regarding a parking violation.
(c) An appeal under Section 99582 of the Public Utilities Code of a hearing officer’s determination regarding an administrative penalty for fare evasion or a passenger conduct violation.
(d) A petition An appeal  under Section 186.35 of the Penal Code challenging of  a law enforcement agency’s inclusion of a person’s determination regarding the placement of an individual’s  information in a shared gang database.
(e) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2032.

SEC. 2.

 Section 186.34 of the Penal Code is amended to read:

186.34.
 (a) (1)  For purposes of this section and Sections 186.35 and 186.36, the following definitions apply: section, “shared gang database” shall mean any database that satisfies all of the following: 
(1) (A)  “Criminal street gang” means an ongoing organization, association, or group of three or more persons, whether formal or informal, having as one of its primary activities the commission of crimes enumerated in paragraphs (1) to (25), inclusive, and paragraphs (31) to (33), inclusive, of subdivision (e) of Section 186.22 who have a common identifying sign, symbol, or name, and whose members individually or collectively engage in or have engaged in a pattern of definable criminal activity. Allows access for any local law enforcement agency. 
(2) (B)  “Gang database” means any database accessed by a law enforcement agency that designates a person as a gang member or associate, or includes or points to information, including, but not limited to, fact-based or uncorroborated information, that  Contains personal, identifying information in which a person may be designated as a suspected gang member, associate, or affiliate, or for which entry of a person in the database  reflects a designation of that person as a suspected  gang member  member, associate,  or associate. affiliate. 
(3) (C)  “Law enforcement agency” means a governmental agency or a subunit of a governmental agency, and its authorized support staff and contractors, whose primary function is detection, investigation, or apprehension of criminal offenders, or whose primary duties include detention, pretrial release, posttrial release, correctional supervision, or the collection, storage, or dissemination of criminal history record information. Is subject to Part 23 of Title 28 of the Code of Federal Regulations. If federal funding is no longer available to a database through the federal Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 3711 et seq.), a database shall not have to satisfy this subparagraph to meet the definition of a “shared gang database.” 
(4) “Shared gang database” means a gang database that is accessed by an agency or person outside of the agency that created the records that populate the database.
(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), the following are not subject to this section, or Sections 186.35 and 186.36:
(1) (2)  Databases that designate persons as gang members or associates using only criminal offender record information, as defined in Section 13102, or information  A “shared gang database” does not include dispatch operator reports, information used for the administration of jail or custodial facilities, criminal investigative reports, probation reports, or information required to be  collected pursuant to Section 186.30.
(3) Notwithstanding subparagraph (C) of paragraph (1), a “shared gang database” includes the CalGang system, operated pursuant to Part 23 of Title 28 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(2) (b)  Databases accessed solely by jail or custodial facility staff for classification or operational decisions in the administration of the facility. Notwithstanding subparagraph (C) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a), a shared gang database, as defined in this section, shall retain records related to the gang activity of the individuals in the database consistent with the provisions contained in Section 23.20(h) of Title 28 of the Code of Federal Regulations. 
(c) (1) Commencing January 15, 2018, and annually on January 15 thereafter, any law enforcement agency that elects to utilize a shared gang database, as defined in subdivision (a), shall submit a report to the Department of Justice, in a format developed by the department, that contains, by ZIP Code, referring agency, race, gender, and age, the following information:
(A) The number of persons included in the database on the day of reporting.
(B) The number of persons added to the database during the immediately preceding 12 months.
(C) The number of requests for removal of a person from the database received during the immediately preceding 12 months.
(D) The number of requests for removal of a person from the database that were granted during the immediately preceding 12 months.
(E) The number of persons automatically removed from the database during the immediately preceding 12 months.
(2) Commencing February 15, 2018, and annually on February 15 thereafter, the Department of Justice shall post each law enforcement agency’s report that contains the information collected pursuant to paragraph (1) on the department’s Internet Web site.
(c) (d)  (1) To the extent a local law enforcement agency elects to utilize a shared gang database  database, as defined in subdivision (a),  prior to a local law enforcement agency designating a person as a suspected gang member, associate, or affiliate in a shared gang database, or submitting a document to the Attorney General’s office for the purpose of designating a person in a shared gang database, or otherwise identifying the person in a shared gang database, the local law enforcement agency shall provide written notice to the person, and shall, if the person is under 18 years of age, provide written notice to the person and the person’s  his or her  parent or guardian, of the designation and the basis for the designation, unless providing that notification would compromise an active criminal investigation or compromise the health or safety of the minor.
(2) The notice described in paragraph (1) shall describe the process for the person, or, if the person is under 18 years of age, for the person’s  his or her  parent or guardian, or an attorney working on behalf of the person, to contest the designation of the person in the database. The notice shall also inform the person of the reason for the person’s  his or her  designation in the database.
(d) (e)  (1) (A) A person, or, if the person is under 18 years of age, the person’s  his or her  parent or guardian, or an attorney working on behalf of the person, person  may request information of any law enforcement agency as to whether the person is designated as a suspected gang member, associate, or affiliate in a shared gang database accessible by that law enforcement agency and the name of the  what  law enforcement agency that  made the designation. A request pursuant to this paragraph shall be in writing.
(B) If a person about whom information is requested pursuant to subparagraph (A) is designated as a suspected gang member, associate, or affiliate in a shared gang database by that law enforcement agency, the person making the request may also request information as to the basis for the designation for the purpose of contesting the designation as described in subdivision (e). (f). 
(2) The law enforcement agency shall provide information requested under paragraph (1), unless doing so would compromise an active criminal investigation or compromise the health or safety of the person if the person is under 18 years of age.
(3) The law enforcement agency shall respond to a valid request pursuant to paragraph (1) in writing to the person making the request within 30 calendar days of receipt of the request.
(e) (f)  Subsequent to the notice described in subdivision (c) or the law enforcement agency’s response to an information request described in subdivision  (d), the person designated or  to be designated as a suspected gang member, associate, or affiliate, or the person’s parent or guardian if the person is under 18 years of age,  his or her parent or guardian,  may submit written documentation to the local law enforcement agency contesting the designation. The local law enforcement agency shall review the documentation, and if the agency determines that the person is not a suspected gang member, associate, or affiliate, the agency shall remove the person from the shared gang database. The local law enforcement agency shall provide the person and, if the person is under 18 years of age, the person’s parent or guardian, and his or her parent or guardian  with written verification of the agency’s decision within 30 days of submission of the written documentation contesting the designation. If the law enforcement agency denies the request for removal, the notice of its determination shall state the reason for the denial. If the law enforcement agency does not provide a verification of the agency’s decision within the required 30-day period, the request to remove the person from the gang database shall be deemed denied. The person or, if the person is under 18 years of age, the person’s parent or guardian may petition the court to review the law enforcement agency’s denial of the request for removal and order the law enforcement agency to remove the person from the shared gang database  The person may appeal the denial  pursuant to Section 186.35.
(f) (g)  Nothing in this section shall require a local law enforcement agency to disclose any information protected under Section 1040 or 1041 of the Evidence Code or any provision listed in Section 7920.505 Section 6254  of the Government Code.

SEC. 3.

 Section 186.35 is added to the Penal Code, to read:

186.35.
 (a) A person who is listed by a law enforcement agency in a shared gang database as a gang member, suspected gang member, associate, or affiliate and who has contested his or her designation pursuant to subdivision (f) of Section 186.34, may seek review within 90 calendar days of the agency’s mailing or personal service of the verification of the decision by filing an appeal to be heard by the superior court. A proceeding under this subdivision is a limited civil case. A copy of the notice of appeal shall be served in person or by first-class mail upon the agency by the person. For purposes of computing the 90-calendar-day period, Section 1013 of the Code of Civil Procedure shall be applicable.
(b) The evidentiary record for the appeal shall be limited to the agency’s statement of basis of its designation made pursuant to subdivision (e) of Section 186.34, and the documentation provided to the agency by the appellant pursuant to subdivision (f) of Section 186.34. If, upon de novo review and any arguments presented to the court, the court finds that the law enforcement agency has failed to establish the petitioner’s active gang membership, associate status, or affiliate status by clear and convincing evidence, the court shall order the law enforcement agency to remove the name of the person from the shared gang database.
(c) The fee for filing the notice of appeal is as provided in Section 70615 of the Government Code. The court shall notify the person of the appearance date by mail or personal delivery. The court shall retain the fee under Section 70615 of the Government Code regardless of the outcome of the appeal. If the court finds in favor of the person, the amount of the fee shall be reimbursed to the person by the agency.
SEC. 4.
 If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.