Bill Text: CA AB297 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

---

Bill Title: Criminal history information: law enforcement employees.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2009-08-06 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 97, Statutes of 2009. [AB297 Detail]

Download: California-2009-AB297-Introduced.html

---

BILL NUMBER: AB 297	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Solorio

                        FEBRUARY 17, 2009

   An act to amend Section 11105 of, and to add Section 11105.06 to,
the Penal Code, relating to criminal history information.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 297, as introduced, Solorio. Criminal history information: law
enforcement employees.
   Existing law requires the Department of Justice to maintain
various data and information pertaining to criminal history
information and to disclose that information under specified
circumstances to various specified recipients.
   This bill would require the department to disseminate the date and
agency name associated with all retained peace officer or nonsworn
law enforcement agency employee preemployment criminal offender
record information search requests, as specified. The bill would also
require the department to retain an individual's fingerprint images
and related information submitted as part of a peace officer or
nonsworn law enforcement agency employee preemployment criminal
offender record information search request, as specified.
   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 11105 of the Penal Code is amended to read:
   11105.  (a) (1) The Department of Justice shall maintain state
summary criminal history information.
   (2) As used in this section:
   (A) "State summary criminal history information" means the master
record of information compiled by the Attorney General pertaining to
the identification and criminal history of any person, such as name,
date of birth, physical description, fingerprints, photographs, date
of arrests, arresting agencies and booking numbers, charges,
dispositions, and similar data about the person.
   (B) "State summary criminal history information" does not refer to
records and data compiled by criminal justice agencies other than
the Attorney General, nor does it refer to records of complaints to
or investigations conducted by, or records of intelligence
information or security procedures of, the office of the Attorney
General and the Department of Justice.
   (b) The Attorney General shall furnish state summary criminal
history information to any of the following, if needed in the course
of their duties, provided that when information is furnished to
assist an agency, officer, or official of state or local government,
a public utility, or any other entity, in fulfilling employment,
certification, or licensing duties, Chapter 1321 of the Statutes of
1974 and Section 432.7 of the Labor Code shall apply:
   (1) The courts of the state.
   (2) Peace officers of the state, as defined in Section 830.1,
subdivisions (a) and (e) of Section 830.2, subdivision (a) of Section
830.3, subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 830.5, and subdivision
(a) of Section 830.31.
   (3) District attorneys of the state.
   (4) Prosecuting city attorneys of any city within the state.
   (5) City attorneys pursuing civil gang injunctions pursuant to
Section 186.22a, or drug abatement actions pursuant to Section 3479
or 3480 of the Civil Code, or Section 11571 of the Health and Safety
Code.
   (6) Probation officers of the state.
   (7) Parole officers of the state.
   (8) A public defender or attorney of record when representing a
person in proceedings upon a petition for a certificate of
rehabilitation and pardon pursuant to Section 4852.08.
   (9) A public defender or attorney of record when representing a
person in a criminal case, or parole revocation or revocation
extension proceeding, and if authorized access by statutory or
decisional law.
   (10) Any agency, officer, or official of the state if the criminal
history information is required to implement a statute or regulation
that expressly refers to specific criminal conduct applicable to the
subject person of the state summary criminal history information,
and contains requirements or exclusions, or both, expressly based
upon that specified criminal conduct. The agency, officer, or
official of the state authorized by this paragraph to receive state
summary criminal history information may also transmit fingerprint
images and related information to the Department of Justice to be
transmitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
   (11) Any city or county, city and county, district, or any officer
or official thereof if access is needed in order to assist that
agency, officer, or official in fulfilling employment, certification,
or licensing duties, and if the access is specifically authorized by
the city council, board of supervisors, or governing board of the
city, county, or district if the criminal history information is
required to implement a statute, ordinance, or regulation that
expressly refers to specific criminal conduct applicable to the
subject person of the state summary criminal history information, and
contains requirements or exclusions, or both, expressly based upon
that specified criminal conduct. The city or county, city and county,
district, or the officer or official thereof authorized by this
paragraph may also transmit fingerprint images and related
information to the Department of Justice to be transmitted to the
Federal Bureau of Investigation.
   (12) The subject of the state summary criminal history information
under procedures established under Article 5 (commencing with
Section 11120).
   (13) Any person or entity when access is expressly authorized by
statute if the criminal history information is required to implement
a statute or regulation that expressly refers to specific criminal
conduct applicable to the subject person of the state summary
criminal history information, and contains requirements or
exclusions, or both, expressly based upon that specified criminal
conduct.
   (14) Health officers of a city, county, city and county, or
district when in the performance of their official duties enforcing
Section 120175 of the Health and Safety Code.
   (15) Any managing or supervising correctional officer of a county
jail or other county correctional facility.
   (16) Any humane society, or society for the prevention of cruelty
to animals, for the specific purpose of complying with Section 14502
of the Corporations Code for the appointment of level 1 humane
officers.
   (17) Local child support agencies established by Section 17304 of
the Family Code. When a local child support agency closes a support
enforcement case containing summary criminal history information, the
agency shall delete or purge from the file and destroy any documents
or information concerning or arising from offenses for or of which
the parent has been arrested, charged, or convicted, other than for
offenses related to the parent's having failed to provide support for
minor children, consistent with the requirements of Section 17531 of
the Family Code.
   (18) County child welfare agency personnel who have been delegated
the authority of county probation officers to access state summary
criminal history information pursuant to Section 272 of the Welfare
and Institutions Code for the purposes specified in Section 16504.5
of the Welfare and Institutions Code. Information from criminal
history records provided pursuant to this subdivision shall not be
used for any purposes other than those specified in this section and
Section 16504.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. When an agency
obtains records obtained both on the basis of name checks and
fingerprint checks, final placement decisions shall be based only on
the records obtained pursuant to the fingerprint check.
   (19) The court of a tribe, or court of a consortium of tribes,
that has entered into an agreement with the state pursuant to Section
10553.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. This information may
be used only for the purposes specified in Section 16504.5 of the
Welfare and Institutions Code and for tribal approval or tribal
licensing of foster care or adoptive homes. Article 6 (commencing
with Section 11140) shall apply to officers, members, and employees
of a tribal court receiving criminal record offender information
pursuant to this section.
   (20) Child welfare agency personnel of a tribe or consortium of
tribes that has entered into an agreement with the state pursuant to
Section 10553.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code and to whom the
state has delegated duties under paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of
Section 272 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. The purposes for
use of the information shall be for the purposes specified in Section
16504.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code and for tribal approval
or tribal licensing of foster care or adoptive homes. When an agency
obtains records on the basis of name checks and fingerprint checks,
final placement decisions shall be based only on the records obtained
pursuant to the fingerprint check. Article 6 (commencing with
Section 11140) shall apply to child welfare agency personnel
receiving criminal record offender information pursuant to this
section.
   (21) An officer providing conservatorship investigations pursuant
to Sections 5351, 5354, and 5356 of the Welfare and Institutions
Code.
   (22) A court investigator providing investigations or reviews in
conservatorships pursuant to Section 1826, 1850, 1851, or 2250.6 of
the Probate Code.
   (23) A person authorized to conduct a guardianship investigation
pursuant to Section 1513 of the Probate Code.
   (c) The Attorney General may furnish state summary criminal
history information and, when specifically authorized by this
subdivision, federal level criminal history information upon a
showing of a compelling need to any of the following, provided that
when information is furnished to assist an agency, officer, or
official of state or local government, a public utility, or any other
entity in fulfilling employment, certification, or licensing duties,
Chapter 1321 of the Statutes of 1974 and Section 432.7 of the Labor
Code shall apply:
   (1) Any public utility, as defined in Section 216 of the Public
Utilities Code, that operates a nuclear energy facility when access
is needed in order to assist in employing persons to work at the
facility, provided that, if the Attorney General supplies the data,
he or she shall furnish a copy of the data to the person to whom the
data relates.
   (2) To a peace officer of the state other than those included in
subdivision (b).
   (3) To an illegal dumping enforcement officer as defined in
subdivision (j) of Section 830.7.
   (4) To a peace officer of another country.
   (5) To public officers, other than peace officers, of the United
States, other states, or possessions or territories of the United
States, provided that access to records similar to state summary
criminal history information is expressly authorized by a statute of
the United States, other states, or possessions or territories of the
United States if the information is needed for the performance of
their official duties.
   (6) To any person when disclosure is requested by a probation,
parole, or peace officer with the consent of the subject of the state
summary criminal history information and for purposes of furthering
the rehabilitation of the subject.
   (7) The courts of the United States, other states, or territories
or possessions of the United States.
   (8) Peace officers of the United States, other states, or
territories or possessions of the United States.
   (9) To any individual who is the subject of the record requested
if needed in conjunction with an application to enter the United
States or any foreign nation.
   (10) (A) Any public utility, as defined in Section 216 of the
Public Utilities Code, or any cable corporation as defined in
subparagraph (B), if receipt of criminal history information is
needed in order to assist in employing current or prospective
employees, contract employees, or subcontract employees who, in the
course of their employment may be seeking entrance to private
residences or adjacent grounds. The information provided shall be
limited to the record of convictions and any arrest for which the
person is released on bail or on his or her own recognizance pending
trial.
   If the Attorney General supplies the data pursuant to this
paragraph, the Attorney General shall furnish a copy of the data to
the current or prospective employee to whom the data relates.
   Any information obtained from the state summary criminal history
is confidential and the receiving public utility or cable corporation
shall not disclose its contents, other than for the purpose for
which it was acquired. The state summary criminal history information
in the possession of the public utility or cable corporation and all
copies made from it shall be destroyed not more than 30 days after
employment or promotion or transfer is denied or granted, except for
those cases where a current or prospective employee is out on bail or
on his or her own recognizance pending trial, in which case the
state summary criminal history information and all copies shall be
destroyed not more than 30 days after the case is resolved.
   A violation of this paragraph is a misdemeanor, and shall give the
current or prospective employee who is injured by the violation a
cause of action against the public utility or cable corporation to
recover damages proximately caused by the violations. Any public
utility's or cable corporation's request for state summary criminal
history information for purposes of employing current or prospective
employees who may be seeking entrance to private residences or
adjacent grounds in the course of their employment shall be deemed a
"compelling need" as required to be shown in this subdivision.
   Nothing in this section shall be construed as imposing any duty
upon public utilities or cable corporations to request state summary
criminal history information on any current or prospective employees.

   (B) For purposes of this paragraph, "cable corporation" means any
corporation or firm that transmits or provides television, computer,
or telephone services by cable, digital, fiber optic, satellite, or
comparable technology to subscribers for a fee.
   (C) Requests for federal-level criminal history information
received by the Department of Justice from entities authorized
pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall be forwarded to the Federal Bureau
of Investigation by the Department of Justice. Federal-level
criminal history information received or compiled by the Department
of Justice may then be disseminated to the entities referenced in
subparagraph (A), as authorized by law.
   (D) (i) Authority for a cable corporation to request state or
federal-level criminal history information under this paragraph shall
commence July 1, 2005.
   (ii) Authority for a public utility to request federal-level
criminal history information under this paragraph shall commence July
1, 2005.
   (11) To any campus of the California State University or the
University of California, or any four-year college or university
accredited by a regional accreditation organization approved by the
United States Department of Education, if needed in conjunction with
an application for admission by a convicted felon to any special
education program for convicted felons, including, but not limited
to, university alternatives and halfway houses. Only conviction
information shall be furnished. The college or university may require
the convicted felon to be fingerprinted, and any inquiry to the
department under this section shall include the convicted felon's
fingerprints and any other information specified by the department.
   (d) Whenever an authorized request for state summary criminal
history information pertains to a person whose fingerprints are on
file with the Department of Justice and the department has no
criminal history of that person, and the information is to be used
for employment, licensing, or certification purposes, the fingerprint
card accompanying the request for information, if any, may be
stamped "no criminal record" and returned to the person or entity
making the request.
   (e) Whenever state summary criminal history information is
furnished as the result of an application and is to be used for
employment, licensing, or certification purposes, the Department of
Justice may charge the person or entity making the request a fee that
it determines to be sufficient to reimburse the department for the
cost of furnishing the information. In addition, the Department of
Justice may add a surcharge to the fee to fund maintenance and
improvements to the systems from which the information is obtained.
Notwithstanding any other law, any person or entity required to pay a
fee to the department for information received under this section
may charge the applicant a fee sufficient to reimburse the person or
entity for this expense. All moneys received by the department
pursuant to this section, Sections 11105.3 and 12054 of the Penal
Code, and Section 13588 of the Education Code shall be deposited in a
special account in the General Fund to be available for expenditure
by the department to offset costs incurred pursuant to those sections
and for maintenance and improvements to the systems from which the
information is obtained upon appropriation by the Legislature.
   (f) Whenever there is a conflict, the processing of criminal
fingerprints and fingerprints of applicants for security guard or
alarm agent registrations or firearms qualification permits submitted
pursuant to Section 7583.9, 7583.23, 7596.3, or 7598.4 of the
Business and Professions Code shall take priority over the processing
of other applicant fingerprints.
   (g) It is not a violation of this section to disseminate
statistical or research information obtained from a record, provided
that the identity of the subject of the record is not disclosed.
   (h) It is not a violation of this section to include information
obtained from a record in (1) a transcript or record of a judicial or
administrative proceeding or (2) any other public record if the
inclusion of the information in the public record is authorized by a
court, statute, or decisional law.
   (i) Notwithstanding any other law, the Department of Justice or
any state or local law enforcement agency may require the submission
of fingerprints for the purpose of conducting summary criminal
history information checks that are authorized by law.
   (j) The state summary criminal history information shall include
any finding of mental incompetence pursuant to Chapter 6 (commencing
with Section 1367) of Title 10 of Part 2 arising out of a complaint
charging a felony offense specified in Section 290.
   (k) (1) This subdivision shall apply whenever state or federal
summary criminal history information is furnished by the Department
of Justice as the result of an application by an authorized agency or
organization and the information is to be used for peace officer
employment or certification purposes. As used in this subdivision, a
peace officer is defined in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830)
of Title 3 of Part 2.
   (2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, whenever state
summary criminal history information is furnished pursuant to
paragraph (1), the Department of Justice shall disseminate the
following information:
   (A) Every conviction rendered against the applicant.
   (B) Every arrest for an offense for which the applicant is
presently awaiting trial, whether the applicant is incarcerated or
has been released on bail or on his or her own recognizance pending
trial.
   (C) Every arrest or detention, except for an arrest or detention
resulting in an exoneration, provided however that where the records
of the Department of Justice do not contain a disposition for the
arrest, the Department of Justice first makes a genuine effort to
determine the disposition of the arrest.
   (D) Every successful diversion. 
   (E) Every date and agency name associated with all retained peace
officer or nonsworn law enforcement agency employee preemployment
criminal offender record information search requests. 
   () (1) This subdivision shall apply whenever state or federal
summary criminal history information is furnished by the Department
of Justice as the result of an application by a criminal justice
agency or organization as defined in Section 13101 of the Penal Code,
and the information is to be used for criminal justice employment,
licensing, or certification purposes.
   (2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, whenever state
summary criminal history information is furnished pursuant to
paragraph (1), the Department of Justice shall disseminate the
following information:
   (A) Every conviction rendered against the applicant.
   (B) Every arrest for an offense for which the applicant is
presently awaiting trial, whether the applicant is incarcerated or
has been released on bail or on his or her own recognizance pending
trial.
   (C) Every arrest for an offense for which the records of the
Department of Justice do not contain a disposition or did not result
in a conviction, provided that the Department of Justice first makes
a genuine effort to determine the disposition of the arrest. However,
information concerning an arrest shall not be disclosed if the
records of the Department of Justice indicate or if the genuine
effort reveals that the subject was exonerated, successfully
completed a diversion or deferred entry of judgment program, or the
arrest was deemed a detention. 
   (D) Every date and agency name associated with all retained peace
officer or non-sworn law enforcement agency employee pre-employment
criminal offender record information search requests. 
   (m) (1) This subdivision shall apply whenever state or federal
summary criminal history information is furnished by the Department
of Justice as the result of an application by an authorized agency or
organization pursuant to Section 1522, 1568.09, 1569.17, or 1596.871
of the Health and Safety Code, or any statute that incorporates the
criteria of any of those sections or this subdivision by reference,
and the information is to be used for employment, licensing, or
certification purposes.
   (2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, whenever state
summary criminal history information is furnished pursuant to
paragraph (1), the Department of Justice shall disseminate the
following information:
   (A) Every conviction of an offense rendered against the applicant.

   (B) Every arrest for an offense for which the applicant is
presently awaiting trial, whether the applicant is incarcerated or
has been released on bail or on his or her own recognizance pending
trial.
   (C) Every arrest for an offense for which the Department of Social
Services is required by paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section
1522 of the Health and Safety Code to determine if an applicant has
been arrested. However, if the records of the Department of Justice
do not contain a disposition for an arrest, the Department of Justice
shall first make a genuine effort to determine the disposition of
the arrest.
   (3) Notwithstanding the requirements of the sections referenced in
paragraph (1) of this subdivision, the Department of Justice shall
not disseminate information about an arrest subsequently deemed a
detention or an arrest that resulted in either the successful
completion of a diversion program or exoneration.
   (n) (1) This subdivision shall apply whenever state or federal
summary criminal history information, to be used for employment,
licensing, or certification purposes, is furnished by the Department
of Justice as the result of an application by an authorized agency,
organization, or individual pursuant to any of the following:
   (A) Paragraph (9) of subdivision (c), when the information is to
be used by a cable corporation.
   (B) Section 11105.3 or 11105.4.
   (C) Section 15660 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
   (D) Any statute that incorporates the criteria of any of the
statutory provisions listed in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C), or of
this subdivision, by reference.
   (2) With the exception of applications submitted by transportation
companies authorized pursuant to Section 11105.3, and
notwithstanding any other provision of law, whenever state summary
criminal history information is furnished pursuant to paragraph (1),
the Department of Justice shall disseminate the following
information:
   (A) Every conviction rendered against the applicant for a
violation or attempted violation of any offense specified in
subdivision (a) of Section 15660 of the Welfare and Institutions
Code. However, with the exception of those offenses for which
registration is required pursuant to Section 290, the Department of
Justice shall not disseminate information pursuant to this
subdivision unless the conviction occurred within 10 years of the
date of the agency's request for information or the conviction is
over 10 years old but the subject of the request was incarcerated
within 10 years of the agency's request for information.
   (B) Every arrest for a violation or attempted violation of an
offense specified in subdivision (a) of Section 15660 of the Welfare
and Institutions Code for which the applicant is presently awaiting
trial, whether the applicant is incarcerated or has been released on
bail or on his or her own recognizance pending trial.
   (o) (1) This subdivision shall apply whenever state or federal
summary criminal history information is furnished by the Department
of Justice as the result of an application by an authorized agency or
organization pursuant to Section 261 or 550 of the Financial Code,
or any statute that incorporates the criteria of either of those
sections or this subdivision by reference, and the information is to
be used for employment, licensing, or certification purposes.
   (2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, whenever state
summary criminal history information is furnished pursuant to
paragraph (1), the Department of Justice shall disseminate the
following information:
   (A) Every conviction rendered against the applicant for a
violation or attempted violation of any offense specified in Section
550 of the Financial Code.
   (B) Every arrest for a violation or attempted violation of an
offense specified in Section 550 of the Financial Code for which the
applicant is presently awaiting trial, whether the applicant is
incarcerated or has been released on bail or on his or her own
recognizance pending trial.
   (p) (1) This subdivision shall apply whenever state or federal
criminal history information is furnished by the Department of
Justice as the result of an application by an agency, organization,
or individual not defined in subdivision (k), (), (m), (n), or (o),
or by a transportation company authorized pursuant to Section
11105.3, or any statute that incorporates the criteria of that
section or this subdivision by reference, and the information is to
be used for employment, licensing, or certification purposes.
   (2) Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, whenever state
summary criminal history information is furnished pursuant to
paragraph (1), the Department of Justice shall disseminate the
following information:
   (A) Every conviction rendered against the applicant.
   (B) Every arrest for an offense for which the applicant is
presently awaiting trial, whether the applicant is incarcerated or
has been released on bail or on his or her own recognizance pending
trial.
   (q) All agencies, organizations, or individuals defined in
subdivisions (k), (), (m), (n), (o), and (p) may contract with the
Department of Justice for subsequent arrest notification pursuant to
Section 11105.2. This subdivision shall not supersede sections that
mandate an agency, organization, or individual to contract with the
Department of Justice for subsequent arrest notification pursuant to
Section 11105.2.
                 (r) Nothing in this section shall be construed to
mean that the Department of Justice shall cease compliance with any
other statutory notification requirements.
   (s) The provisions of Section 50.12 of Title 28 of the Code of
Federal Regulations are to be followed in processing federal criminal
history information.
  SEC. 2.  Section 11105.06 is added to the Penal Code, to read:
   11105.06.  The Department of Justice shall retain an individual's
fingerprint images and related information submitted as part of a
peace officer or nonsworn law enforcement agency employee
preemployment criminal offender record information search request.
When responding to pre-employment criminal offender record
information search requests pursuant to subdivision (k) or (l) of
Section 11105, the department shall disseminate the request date and
requesting agency name associated with all retained peace officer and
nonsworn law enforcement agency employee information search
requests.