Assembly Standing Committee on Public Safety

Alright, everyone. Welcome to the possibly last or second to last meeting of the Public Safety Committee for this year. Madam secretary, would you please conduct the role?

[roll call]

That's the spirit, Assembly member Nguyen. Alright. We have a quorum present. I'd like to welcome everyone back. Today we'll be hearing two bills, Assembly Bill 282 and Assembly Bill 2344.

Both have been referred to the committee pursuant to Assembly rule 77.2. I'll briefly dispense with our housekeeping items. As a reminder, there are some general rules of conduct before we start our hearing. Please note that in order to facilitate the goal of conducting a legislative hearing and as we proceed with witness and public comment.

Throughout the hearing, I wanna ensure that everyone understands that the Assembly has rules to ensure that we maintain order and run an efficient and fair hearing.

We will not permit conduct that disrupts, disturbs, or otherwise impedes the orderly conduct of today's proceedings.

So all 10 of you in the audience or five of you don't get rowdy. Please be aware that violations of these rules may subject your removal or other enforcement actions. I see that we have Assemblymember Pellerin here. She's gonna be presenting on AB 282. Assemblymember, come forward.

As a reminder, once you're finished presenting, do you have any witnesses?

I do you wanna be a witness? Yeah.

If you have a witness, they'll have five minutes as will opposing witnesses, and we'll take the me too's in between as well.

I think that they're busy. But anyway, thank you.

Good afternoon. So just this year in California and Georgia, conspiracy theorists seeking to undermine long ago certified election results seized and attempted to seize ballots and election records. The federal administration and those seeking to spread lies about our democracy continue to call for interference in elections in ways we have never seen before in this country.

AB 282 seeks to prevent the greatest threat to our elections by preventing any attempts to seize ballots, election records, and certified voting technology before our election results are certified. AB 282 makes clear that interfering with ballots or voting equipment before an election is certified is a serious offense with serious consequences.

Specifically, it will make it a felony to seize, cause, or assist in the seizure of ballots, election records, or certified voting technology before election results are certified by the elections official.

That's punishable by up to three years in prison. And anyone who, directs someone else in their supervision to do the same is punishable by up to four years in prison.

Among increasing threats to the integrity of our state administered elections, AB 282 helps ensure that every lawfully cast vote can be counted and that the will of the voters of every political party will be respected. So I respectfully ask for I vote.

Thank you very much. Do we have any witnesses testifying in support?

Okay. We'll take any other me too's if you wanna register a support position. Okay.

Do we have any opposition witnesses to wanting to testify?

Nope. Anyone else having an opinion whatsoever? Alright. Back to the dais.

Questions? Comments?

Lot of thumbs up.

A lot of thumbs up. Alright. Or motions. We can take that at this time.

Second.

Great. We have a motion and a second. Assemblymember Pellerin, would you like to close?

For the state of our democracy, protect elections. I respectfully ask your aye vote.

Well said. You have the chair's aye recommendation. Let's conduct the role.

For AB 282 by Assemblymember Pellerin, the motion is to concur in Senate amendments and we refer to the Appropriations Committee.

[roll call]

Okay. That bill is out. We'll allow a few other members to add on. If you're a member of the committee and you're not here, we only have one more bill. We are gonna adjourn on time, so we can give it to appropriations.

So make your way to Room 126. Thank you, Assemblymember Pellerin.

Colleagues, that brings us to our second and final bill of today. Before he presents, I will mention, there is a possibility we may have a hearing tomorrow night depending on if a bill survives and makes it over here. So obviously, I know how to find you all, but we may meet one more time tomorrow.

Alright. Final bill for today, AB 2344 by Assemblymember Haney. You can begin when you're ready.

Thank you, Mister Chair and members. AB 2344 as a measure that has had bipartisan support and will help animals involved in cruelty cases find safe permanent homes quicker, rather than remaining in shelters for unnecessarily long periods of time. This committee has heard this bill before, and it's back in front of you because you made some amendments in the Senate.

Under current law, animal shelters are required to hold seized animals unless the animal was seized under penal code section 597.1 or through a search warrant. In Los Angeles County alone, shelter holds cost approximately a $105 per animal per day, imposing significant financial burdens on shelters and making it increasingly difficult to provide quality care for every animal in custody.

AB 2344 will provide a common sense solution by expanding the payment requirement due by, animal owners accused of abuse under penal code section 591 to animal seizure pursuant to all other California laws. Broadening this penal code will allow abused animals to be forfeited 14 days after the individual fails to pay their fees, helping them move to stable homes quicker.

With me to testify and support are Dan Felizzatto on behalf of the LA District Attorney's Office and Nick Sackett on behalf of Social Compassion in Legislation.

Mister chairman, members. Dan Felizzatto on behalf of Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. AB 2344 now closes a loophole in existing law that excludes animals that are seized without a warrant from the 14 day notice for payment. There's no legal or policy reason to not include animals that were seized without a warrant and then provision.

The while the approach is different than when this bill was in the committee originally, the end result will be the same. So we ask for your aye vote.

Chair members, Nickolaus Sackett on behalf of cosponsor Social Compassion In Legislation. I just wanna thank, Assemblymember Haney for his work on this bill. The committee, both committees in both houses really appreciate it. As everyone knows, California has a terrible pet overpopulation crisis that we are all trying to fix and this is one tool that will help shelters get animals in and out of the shelters faster. So with that, respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Alright. Well, thank you all very much for your testimony. Would anyone else like to register a me too position of support?

Okay. Do we have any opposition witnesses present by show of hands?

Anyone else wanting to register any other position?

No. Bringing it back to the dais. Questions, comments, or motions?

Move it.

Second.

Okay. We have a motion and a second. Assembly member, would you like to close?

Thank you to the committee. Thank you to the sponsors. We also were able to bring everyone together and kinda work out some of the concerns raised by opposition. So that we were able to have a unified front on helping our dogs and cats and making sure they can have a permanent supportive stable home. With that, respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Alright. Well, thank you. Great bill. Big fan of it. And boy, if we can run our hearings next year like this efficiently, we're gonna just blaze on through it.

We have a motion and a second. Let's conduct the roll.

For AB 2344 by Assembly member Haney, the motion is to concur in Senate amendments.

[roll call]

That bill is out. Thank you, everyone. Before we, before I get to the closing comments, I know you all wanna run. I just wanted to say two quick things.

If I could ask for everyone helping me and giving a round of applause for our staff who came in on a weekend to make this happen today, thank you to our staff for all your work this year.

And I'm not gonna overdo it because I think we will meet tomorrow, but I did want to acknowledge that Mister Lackey is leaving our committee. Tom, it's been an absolute pleasure working with you. Thank you for your years of service, Tom.

Thank you.

Okay. It is 03:44pm. If you're a member of this committee, I will keep the role open for ten minutes. The rest of you are free to go. If you are not here by 03:55PM, the committee will stand adjourned.

Bills are out. And to the appropriation staff that's listening, the full the room is yours in ten minutes. Alright. We'll keep the roll open.

Okay. Noticing the presence of Assembly member Harabedian. Madam secretary. Would you please allow him to add on?

For AB 288 by oh, excuse me. AB 282 by Assemblymember Pellerin.

[roll call]

For AB 2344 by Assemblymember Haney.

[roll call]]

Okay. Those bills remain out. I think at this point, we're just waiting on Assemblymembers Alanis and Sharp Collins. Again, we're gonna adjourn in seven minutes. So if your staff for those members, please have them come immediately to Room 126.

We're handing the room over to appropriations. Thank you all.

Okay. I see our Vice Chair is back. Madam secretary, please allow him to add on to both measures.

For AB 282 by Assemblymember Pellerin.

[roll call]

For AB 2344 by Assemblymember Haney.

[roll call]

Okay. Both measures remain out. Thank you to all members of the committee for being here. Final reminder, we have a five minute warning to Doctor Sharp Collins if she can come to Room 126. Otherwise, we will stand adjourn at 03:55pm.

Alright. I've just heard from Doctor Sharp Collins. She's tied up in another committee. Madam secretary, just to confirm, both measures are out without the the presence of Doctor Sharp Collins. Correct?

Yes.

Alright. Very good. Committee stands adjourned.