BILL NUMBER: AB 2140INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Solorio FEBRUARY 18, 2010 An act to add Chapter 3.3 (commencing with Section 13825.8) to Title 6 of Part 4 of the Penal Code, relating to crime prevention. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2140, as introduced, Solorio. Crime prevention: criminal gangs. Existing law creates several crime suppression programs. This bill would make legislative findings relating to gang violence. This bill would establish in the Emergency Management Agency a program designated the High Intensity Interstate Gang Activity Areas Task Force, as specified. This bill would provide that the purpose of the task force is to formulate a comprehensive strategy for addressing high intensity gang activity throughout the state and to advise the Emergency Management Agency on the appropriate disbursements of funds to regional high activity gang areas. This bill would specify task force members and other specified information relating to the operation of the task force. 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. Chapter 3.3 (commencing with Section 13825.8) is added to Title 6 of Part 4 of the Penal Code, to read: CHAPTER 3.3. HIGH INTENSITY INTERSTATE GANG ACTIVITY AREAS TASK FORCE 13825.8. (a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares: (1) California has experienced an escalation in gang-related crimes, and violence is a threat to the safety of all citizens. (2) Gang suppression efforts, left uncoordinated, will remain disorganized and inefficient in addressing the problem of gang activity, and will allow violence to continue to terrorize California communities. (b) There is hereby established in the Emergency Management Agency a program designated the High Intensity Interstate Gang Activity Areas Task Force to provide for the protection and safety of the state's communities from gang activity and violence, and to enhance crime prevention efforts through increased federal, state, and local law enforcement coordination. All funds appropriated to the Emergency Management Agency for the purposes of this chapter shall be administered and disbursed by the secretary in consultation with the High Intensity Interstate Gang Activity Areas Task Force as established in Section 13825.9 and shall, to the extent feasible, be coordinated with federal funds and private grants or private donations that are made available for these purposes. 13825.9. (a) The High Intensity Interstate Gang Activity Areas Task Force is hereby established for the purposes of formulating a comprehensive strategy for addressing high intensity gang activity throughout the state and to advise the Emergency Management Agency on the appropriate disbursements of funds to regional high activity gang areas. (b) In formulating that strategy, the task force shall: (1) Identify and designate High Intensity Interstate Gang Activity Areas (HIIGAAs) throughout the State of California. When establishing HIIGAAs, the task force shall consider: (A) The current and predicted levels of gang crime activity in the area, especially the number of gang-related homicides. (B) The extent to which violent crime in the area appears to be related to criminal street gang activity, such as drug trafficking, murder, robbery, assaults, carjacking, arson, kidnapping, extortion, and other criminal activity. (C) The extent to which state and local law enforcement agencies have committed resources to respond to the gang crime problem and to participate in a gang-enforcement team. (D) The extent to which a significant increase in the allocation of state resources would enhance local response to the gang crime activities in the area. (2) Establish regional high intensity interstate gang activity area law enforcement steering committees, and select the members of those committees. (c) The Secretary of the Emergency Management Agency shall appoint the following members to the task force: (1) A designee of the Governor's office. (2) A designee of the California Emergency Management Agency. (3) A designee of the Attorney General's office. (4) A designee of the California Highway Patrol. (5) A designee of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. (6) A designee of the California State Sheriff's Association. (7) A designee of the California Police Chief's Association. (8) A designee of the California District Attorney's Association. (9) A designee of the Chief Probation Officers of California. (10) A designee of each federal High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) executive director's office. (d) The Secretary of the Emergency Management Agency shall designate the chair of the HIIGAA Task Force from the appointed members. (e) The HIIGAA Task Force shall not be required to meet more than 12 times per year. The task force may create subcommittees of its own membership, and each subcommittee shall meet as often as the subcommittee members find necessary. It is the intent of the Legislature that all task force members shall actively participate in all task force deliberation required by this chapter. Any member who, without advance notice to the secretary and without designating an alternative representative, misses three scheduled meetings in any calendar year for any reason other than severe temporary illness or injury shall automatically be removed from the task force. If a member wishes to send an alternative representative in his or her place, advance written notification of this substitution shall be presented to the secretary. This notification shall be required for each meeting the appointed member elects not to attend. Members of the task force shall receive no compensation for their services, but shall be reimbursed for travel and per diem expenses incurred as a result of attending meetings sponsored by the Emergency Management Agency.