AB 257: Encampments: penalties.

Under existing law, a person who lodges in a public or private place without permission is guilty of disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor. Existing law also provides that a person who willfully and maliciously obstructs the free movement of any person on any street, sidewalk, or other public place is guilty of a misdemeanor.

This bill would prohibit a person from camping, as defined, in a street, sidewalk, or other public property within 500 feet of a school, daycare center, playground, or youth center. The bill would make a violation of the prohibition an infraction or a misdemeanor. By imposing criminal penalties for a violation of these provisions, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. school. The bill would authorize a city attorney, county counsel, or district attorney to bring an action for a violation of this prohibition. The bill would make a person who violates this prohibition liable for a civil fine of not more than $10 in an action brought by the city attorney of the city or the county counsel or the district attorney of the county where the violation occurred.