By Shane LaVigne, Capitol Advocacy

January was a busy month around the Capitol as legislators returned to Sacramento, the Governor released his proposed budget, and bills began to be introduced. Now, in the second month of the 2024 year’s legislative session, legislators continue to introduce bills ahead of the February 16th bill introduction deadline. By that date, we anticipate over 2,000 will be introduced.

Below is a snapshot of some of CSLEA’s priority bills that have been introduced so far:

Legislative Update

AB 2042 (Jackson) Police canines: standards and training – Recently introduced

This bill is a reintroduction of AB 742 (Jackson) from 2023’s legislative session that aims to address the use of canines in policing. The bill would require the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training to develop standards and training guidelines for the use of canines by law enforcement. This bill will be an ongoing issue this session, and we will keep you informed with any and all updates.

AB 1794 (McCarty) Crimes – Recently introduced

This bill, which currently does not have substantive language, will eventually be the bill to target repeat offenders of retail crime and individuals charged with repetitive drug offenses, re-evaluate public safety accountability measures, and modify Proposition 47. We will engage with the author, and new Chair of the Assembly Public Safety Committee, on this measure as it moves forward.

AB 1814 (Ting) Law enforcement agencies: facial recognition technology – Recently introduced

This bill prohibits a law enforcement agency or peace officer from using an FRT-generated match as the sole basis for probable cause in an arrest, search, or warrant.

AB 1839 (Alanis) Peace officers: education and hiring grants – Support

This bill would establish the Law Enforcement Officer Grant Program to provide grants for individuals enrolled in a modern policing degree program at a California community college who commit to work as peace officers at a law enforcement agency for four years. The bill would also award grants to significantly understaffed local law enforcement agencies to provide hiring bonuses to newly employed peace officers.

AB 1941 (Quirk-Silva) Local public employee organizations – Support

This bill would authorize a recognized employee organization to charge an employee covered by the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights Act for the reasonable cost of representation when the employee holds a conscientious objection or declines membership in the organization and requests individual representation in a discipline, grievance, arbitration, or hearing from the organization. 

SB 905 (Wiener) Unlawful entry of a vehicle – Support

This bill would make forcibly entering a vehicle with the intent to commit a theft therein a crime punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for a period of up to three years.

SCR 110 (Umberg) California Peace Officers’ Memorial Day – Support

This measure would designate Monday, May 6, 2024, as California Peace Officers’ Memorial Day.