In a joint letter last month, Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC), Urban Counties of California (UCC), and California State Association of Counties (CSAC) expressed opposition to Senate Bill 493 by Senator Steven Bradford (D-Gardena). This measure would redirect 95 percent of each county’s Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act (JJCPA) funding to non-law enforcement public agencies and community-based organizations and revise the composition of local Juvenile Justice Coordinating Councils.
The redirection of JJCPA funds in SB 493 would severely impact counties as these funds are often dedicated to staffing and personnel costs that make up the backbone of our juvenile probation departments. JJCPA, along with various other local assistance services and programs, were statutorily incorporated into the 2011 Public Safety Realignment fiscal structure, where it now is guaranteed a minimum level of Vehicle License Fee (VLF) funding and enjoys constitutional protections approved in Proposition 30 (2012). While counties are not opposed to evaluating ways to improve JJCPA reporting and the structure of local coordinating councils, this measure would destabilize a stable, constitutionally protected funding structure when counties are assuming vast new responsibilities on the juvenile justice continuum.
RCRC is pleased to report that SB 493 was held in the Senate Appropriations Committee on May 20, 2021, and is considered a dead bill. RCRC continues to prioritize advocacy efforts to ensure that constitutionally protected realignment funding for counties is preserved. The joint letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee may be viewed here. For additional information, contact Sarah Dukett by email or call 916-447-4806.