Source: ACSOL
The CA Assembly’s Public Safety Committee today approved AB 1568 despite a lack of support for that bill. In direct contrast, 24 people including ACSOL leaders and members as well as leaders of other organizations voiced their opposition to the bill.
“The petitioning process under the Tiered Registry Bill is not broken and therefore it does not to be fixed,” ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci testified. “The petitioning process is working well as evidenced by the fact that about 12,000 petitions have been filed so far. Of that total, courts have granted about 10,000 petitions and denied 167 petitions. The remaining petitions are pending final review.”
If passed, AB 1568 could block individuals from petitioning for removal from the registry although they are currently eligible to file a petition. For those not blocked from petitioning, the bill would lengthen and complicate the petitioning process that currently takes up to six months to complete.
The organizations who joined ACSOL today in opposition to HR 1568 include the ACLU, Public Defenders Association and California Attorneys for Criminal Justice (CACJ). CACJ lobbyist Ignacio Hernandez joined Bellucci in testifying against the bill.
“If this bill becomes law, many individuals would be blocked from petitioning for removal from the registry because they cannot afford to travel to the courthouse where their petition has been filed,” Hernandez testified.
The only person to testify in support of HR 1568 was deputy district attorney Margot Roen of Stanislaus County. In her testimony, Roen did not state she was representing the District Attorney of that county.
“It is interesting to note that no District Attorney testified today or submitted a letter of support for HR 1568,” stated Bellucci. “In fact, the legislative analysis of the bill did not list any organization or individuals in support of the bill. However, the bill analysis lists ten organizations and five individuals who oppose HR 1568.”
Due to its passage by the Assembly Public Safety Committee today, the bill will next be considered by the Assembly Appropriations Committee. The date for that committee hearing has not yet been set.
“There will be many opportunities in the future to stop HR 1568 from passage,” stated Bellucci. “Today’s hearing was merely the first step in a multi-step process.”
Download the bill analysis:
AB 1568 - Bill Analysis - March 202603032026
WOW… California government is totally PATHETIC !!
I wonder if the Assembly Public Safety Committee felt pressure to vote for approval due to the author of the bill also being a member of that same committee.
This leads me to wonder if the Assembly Appropriations Committee might be more likely to listen to logic and reason when it comes to this asinine bill (whose sole purpose is to be used as a low effort bullet point for Alanis to boost his political career).
None of his proposed changes make logical sense or are based on any official recommendations.
Will the Assembly Appropriations Committee actually have the integrity to acknowledge how stupid this bill is?
What? Our lawmakers are just making laws for no reason? Never…except always.
Why am I not surprised? This
bullbill should have died in committee but since the author was vice chairman of the committee and the safety of those required to register and their families has never a top priority for political leaders wanting to appear tough on crime it will live for now. It seems as though today’s outcome was already decided before the hearing even started. Was there some kind of wealthy lobby from the polygraph industry behind the decision or just wasted life-support for a brain dead Assembly amendment bill? I’m hoping it dies and brings attention to the insanity of the punishment that never ends.