SB 94 Summary

• Establishes the Committee on Revision of the Penal Code within the California Law Revision Commission to study and recommend reforms to simplify criminal law, establish alternatives to incarceration, and improve parole and probation systems, with committee approval not required for commission recommendations.

• Creates the Department of Youth and Community Restoration within the California Health and Human Services Agency effective July 1, 2020, transferring the Division of Juvenile Justice from the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation with a rehabilitative mission emphasizing treatment, education, and community restoration for youth offenders.

• Expands the Board of Parole Hearings from 15 to 17 commissioners and establishes the California Reentry and Enrichment (CARE) Grant program to fund community-based organizations providing rehabilitative services to incarcerated individuals.

• Extends provisions related to organized retail theft, misdemeanor probation programs, and bench warrant authority until July 1, 2021, and authorizes Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to share inmate social security numbers with workforce development agencies for employment outcome tracking.

• Modifies police records disclosure requirements for critical incidents by requiring agencies to provide estimated disclosure dates rather than simply withholding recordings, and requires annual reporting on Armed Prohibited Persons System (APPS) enforcement metrics.