AB 2531: Deaths while in law enforcement custody: reporting.

Under existing law, when a person who is in custody dies, the agency with jurisdiction over the state or local correctional facility with custodial responsibility for the person at the time of their death is required to post specified information, including the date on which the death occurred and the decedents age, race, and gender, on its internet website within 10 days of the death. Existing law requires the agency to update the posting within 30 days if any information regarding the death changes.

The bill would require the agency to post this specified information on its internet website when a juvenile who is in custody dies. The bill would require the agency to also update the posting if the date on which the death occurred changes, once determined by a medical examiner or similar entity. The bill would define in-custody death for these purposes. By expanding the duties of local agencies, 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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.