BILL NUMBER: AB 1768 INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Solorio FEBRUARY 9, 2010 An act to amend Section 15820.917 of the Government Code, relating to county jails. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1768, as introduced, Solorio. County jails: reentry facilities. Existing law provides state financing for construction of county jails, subject to matching funds from counties, as specified. Existing law requires the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Corrections Standards Authority to give funding preference for those purposes to counties that assist the state in siting reentry facilities, as specified. This bill would require the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Corrections Standards Authority to give coequal funding preference to counties that assist the state in either siting reentry facilities or providing existing beds and program space in county jails for use as reentry facilities. The bill would provide that a county interested in providing reentry services to state inmates shall be required to enter into a long-term agreement with the department to provide those services and that the department shall certify that the proposed reentry services meet its approval. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 15820.917 of the Government Code is amended to read: 15820.917. (a) Participating county matching funds for projects funded under this chapter shall be a minimum of 25 percent of the total project costs. TheCSACorrection s Standards Authority (CSA) may reduce matching fund requirements for participating counties with a general population below 200,000 upon petition by a participating county to the CSA requesting a lower level of matching funds. (b)The CDCR(1) The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and CSA shall give coequal funding preference to counties that assist the state in either siting reentry facilities, pursuant to Section 6270or, subject to the requirements of paragraph (3), providing beds and program space in county jails for use as reentry facilities for prison inmates pursuant to Chapter 9.8 (commencing with Section 6270) of Title 7 of Part 3 of the Penal Code . (2) A county interested in providing reentry services to state inmates shall be required to enter into a long-term agreement with the CDCR to provide those services and the CDCR shall certify that the proposed reentry services meet its approval and the requirements of this subdivision. (3) If the following requirements are met, a county shall be eligible for funding preference pursuant to this subdivision for providing beds and program space in county jails for use as reentry facilities for prison inmates: (A) The beds and programs meet the reentry program facility requirements of Section 6272 of the Penal Code. (B) The CDCR develops the collaborative partnership with local government, local law enforcement, and community service providers as required in Section 6273 of the Penal Code. (C) The minimum number of beds in county jails to be used as reentry facilities for prison inmates shall be as follows: (i) Any county with a general population at or above 500,000 shall provide 500 jail beds to be designated and used exclusively as a reentry facility for prison inmates. (ii) Any county with a general population below 500,000 shall provide at least as many jail beds to be used as a reentry facility for prison inmates as there are county jail beds funded under this chapter to be used for county jail inmates. (D) Counties may meet the requirements of this paragraph with existing jail beds, future jail beds to be constructed with funding made available under this chapter, or a combination thereof. (c) ThedepartmentCDCR shall give funding preference to counties that assist the state in siting mental health day treatment and crisis care, pursuant to Section 3073 of the Penal Code, and to countieswhothat provide a continuum of care so that parolees with mental health and substance abuse needs can continue to receive services at the conclusion of their period of parole.