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SB-358 Property crimes: mail theft.(2021-2022)

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Date Published: 04/15/2021 09:00 PM
SB358:v98#DOCUMENT

Revised  June 30, 2021
Amended  IN  Senate  April 15, 2021

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill
No. 358

Introduced by Senator Jones
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Low and Seyarto)

February 09, 2021

An act to add Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 540) to Title 13 of Part 1 amend Section 530.5 of the Penal Code, relating to property crimes.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 358, as amended, Jones. Property crimes: unlawful entry onto property. mail theft.
Existing law makes mail theft, as defined, a crime punishable by a fine, by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, or by both a fine and imprisonment. Existing law limits mail theft to specified types of theft from the routes and facilities of the United States Postal Service.
This bill would expand that crime to also apply to mail theft from a private mail carrier’s shipping or delivery route. By expanding the scope of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Under existing law, a person who enters a house, room, apartment, or other specified structure, with intent to commit larceny or any felony, is guilty of burglary in the first or 2nd degree, as specified. Burglary in the first degree is punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for 2, 4, or 6 years, and burglary in the 2nd degree is punishable as a misdemeanor by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or as a felony by imprisonment in a county jail for 16 months, or 2 or 3 years.

This bill would prohibit a person from entering the curtilage of a residential dwelling, as defined, with the intent to commit theft of a package shipped through the mail or delivered by a public or private carrier. The bill would make a violation of that prohibition punishable as a misdemeanor by imprisonment in a county jail for a term not exceeding one year. For a 3rd or subsequent violation within a 36-month period, the bill would make the crime punishable as a misdemeanor by imprisonment in a county jail for a term not exceeding one year or as a felony by imprisonment in a county jail for 16 months, or 2 or 3 years. By creating a new crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: YES  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 530.5 of the Penal Code is amended to read:

530.5.
 (a) Every person who willfully obtains personal identifying information, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 530.55, of another person, and uses that information for any unlawful purpose, including to obtain, or attempt to obtain, credit, goods, services, real property, or medical information without the consent of that person, is guilty of a public offense, and upon conviction therefor, shall be punished by a fine, by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, or by both a fine and imprisonment, or by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170.
(b) In any case in which a person willfully obtains personal identifying information of another person, uses that information to commit a crime in addition to a violation of subdivision (a), and is convicted of that crime, the court records shall reflect that the person whose identity was falsely used to commit the crime did not commit the crime.
(c) (1) Every person who, with the intent to defraud, acquires or retains possession of the personal identifying information, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 530.55, of another person is guilty of a public offense, and upon conviction therefor, shall be punished by a fine, by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, or by both a fine and imprisonment.
(2) Every person who, with the intent to defraud, acquires or retains possession of the personal identifying information, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 530.55, of another person, and who has previously been convicted of a violation of this section, upon conviction therefor shall be punished by a fine, by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, or by both a fine and imprisonment, or by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170.
(3) Every person who, with the intent to defraud, acquires or retains possession of the personal identifying information, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 530.55, of 10 or more other persons is guilty of a public offense, and upon conviction therefor, shall be punished by a fine, by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, or by both a fine and imprisonment, or by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170.
(d) (1) Every person who, with the intent to defraud, sells, transfers, or conveys the personal identifying information, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 530.55, of another person is guilty of a public offense, and upon conviction therefor, shall be punished by a fine, by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, or by both a fine and imprisonment, or by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170.
(2) Every person who, with actual knowledge that the personal identifying information, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 530.55, of a specific person will be used to commit a violation of subdivision (a), sells, transfers, or conveys that same personal identifying information is guilty of a public offense, and upon conviction therefor, shall be punished by a fine, by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170, or by both a fine and imprisonment.
(e) Every person who commits mail theft, as defined described in Section 1708 of Title 18 of the United States Code, or who commits that mail theft from a private mail carrier’s shipping or delivery route, is guilty of a public offense, and upon conviction therefor shall be punished by a fine, by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, or by both a fine and imprisonment. Prosecution under this subdivision shall not limit or preclude prosecution under any other provision of law, including, but not limited to, subdivisions (a) to (c), inclusive, of this section.
(f) An interactive computer service or access software provider, as defined in subsection (f) of Section 230 of Title 47 of the United States Code, shall not be liable under this section unless the service or provider acquires, transfers, sells, conveys, or retains possession of personal information with the intent to defraud.

SEC. 2.

 No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.
SECTION 1.Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 540) is added to Title 13 of Part 1 of the Penal Code, to read:
9.Unlawful Entry onto Property
540.

(a)A person shall not enter the curtilage of a residential dwelling with the intent to commit theft of a package shipped through the mail or delivered by a public or private carrier.

(b)For purposes of this section, “curtilage” means an area adjacent to or in the immediate area of the dwelling, and to which the activity of residential life extends, including, but not limited to, a porch, doorstep, patio, stoop, driveway, hallway, or enclosed yard.

(c)(1)Except as specified in paragraph (2), a violation of this section is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for a term not exceeding one year.

(2)A third or subsequent violation of this section within a 36-month period is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for a term not to exceed one year or pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170.

SEC. 2.

No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.

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REVISIONS:
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