California Senate Bill SB1001 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: SB 1001AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 7, 2014 INTRODUCED BY Senator  Knight   Morrell  FEBRUARY 13, 2014 An act to amend Section  56001   340.3  of the  Government Code,   Code of Civil Procedure,  relating to  local government.   civil procedure.  LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 1001, as amended,  Knight   Morrell  .  Local government.   Actions for damages: felony offenses.   Existing law provides for the time of commencing civil actions other than for the recovery of real property, as specified. Under existing law, unless a longer period is prescribed for a specific action, an action for damages against a defendant based upon the defendant's commission of a felony offense for which the defendant has been convicted is required to be brought within one year after the judgment has been pronounced. Existing law also authorizes an action for damages to be brought within 10 years of the date on which the defendant is discharged from parole if the conviction was for any of certain serious felonies, as specified.   This bill would include a human trafficking offense as a serious felony for which an action for damages against a defendant may be brought within 10 years from the date on which the defendant is discharged from parole, and would make other nonsubstantive changes and update a cross-reference in these provisions.   Existing law, the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000, makes certain findings and declarations relating to local government organizations, including, among other things, the encouragement of orderly growth and development, and logical formation and modification of the boundaries of local agencies, as specified.   This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to these findings and declarations.  Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:  SECTION 1.   Section 340.3 of the   Code of Civil Procedure   is amended to read:  340.3. (a) Unless a longer period is prescribed for a specific action, in any action for damages against a defendant based upon the defendant's commission of a felony offense for which the defendant has been convicted, the time for commencement of the action shall be within one year after judgment is pronounced. (b) (1) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), an action for damages against a defendant based upon the defendant's commission of a felony offense for which the defendant has been convicted may be commenced within 10 years of the date on which the defendant is discharged from parole if the conviction was for any offense specified in paragraph (1), except voluntary manslaughter, (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (9), (16), (17), (20), (22), (25), (34), or (35) of subdivision (c) of Section 1192.7 of the Penal Code    or a human trafficking offense specified in Section 1192.7 of the Penal Code  . (2)  No   A  civil action  may   shall not  be commenced pursuant to paragraph (1) if any of the following  applies:   apply:  (A) The defendant has received either a certificate of rehabilitation as provided in Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 4852.01) of Title 6 of Part 3 of the Penal Code or a pardon as provided in Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 4800) or Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 4850) of Title 6 of Part 3 of the Penal Code. (B) Following a conviction for murder or attempted murder, the defendant has been paroled based in whole or in part upon evidence presented to the Board of Prison Terms that the defendant committed the crime because he or she was the victim of intimate partner battering. (C) The defendant was convicted of murder or attempted murder in the second degree in a trial at which substantial evidence was presented that the person committed the crime because he or she was a victim of intimate partner battering. (c) If the sentence or judgment is stayed, the time for the commencement of the action shall be tolled until the stay is lifted. For purposes of this section, a judgment is not stayed if the judgment is appealed or the defendant is placed on probation. (d) (1) Subdivision (b)  shall apply   applies  to any action commenced before, on, or after the effective date of this section, including any action otherwise barred by a limitation of time in effect  prior to   before  the effective date of this section, thereby reviving those causes of action that had lapsed or expired under the law in effect  prior to   before  the effective date of this section. (2) Paragraph (1) does not apply to either of the following: (A) Any claim that has been litigated to finality on the merits in any court of competent jurisdiction  prior to   before  January 1, 2003. For purposes of this section, termination of a prior action on the basis of the statute of limitations  does   shall  not constitute a claim that has been litigated to finality on the merits. (B) Any written, compromised settlement agreement that has been entered into between a plaintiff and a defendant if the plaintiff was represented by an attorney who was admitted to practice law in this state at the time of the settlement, and the plaintiff signed the agreement. (e) Any restitution paid by the defendant to the victim shall be credited against any judgment, award, or settlement obtained pursuant to this section. Any judgment, award, or settlement obtained pursuant to an action under this section shall be subject to the provisions of Section  13966.01   13963  of the Government Code.  SECTION 1.   Section 56001 of the Government Code is amended to read: 56001. The Legislature finds and declares it is the policy of the state to encourage orderly growth and development that are essential to the social, fiscal, and economic well-being of the state. The Legislature recognizes that the logical formation and determination of local agency boundaries is an important factor in promoting orderly development and in balancing that development with sometimes competing state interests of discouraging urban sprawl, preserving open-space and prime agricultural lands, and efficiently extending government services. The Legislature also recognizes that providing housing for persons and families of all incomes is an important factor in promoting orderly development. Therefore, the Legislature further finds and declares that this policy should be effected by the logical formation and modification of the boundaries of local agencies, with a preference granted to accommodating additional growth within, or through the expansion of, the boundaries of those local agencies that can best accommodate and provide necessary governmental services and housing for persons and families of all incomes in the most efficient manner feasible. The Legislature recognizes that urban population densities and intensive residential, commercial, and industrial development necessitate a broad spectrum and high level of community services and controls. The Legislature also recognizes that when areas become urbanized to the extent that they need the full range of community services, priorities are required to be established regarding the type and levels of services that the residents of an urban community need and desire; that community service priorities be established by weighing the total community service needs against the total financial resources available for securing community services; and that those community service priorities are required to reflect local circumstances, conditions, and limited financial resources. The Legislature finds and declares that a single multipurpose governmental agency is accountable for community service needs and financial resources and, therefore, that agency may be the best mechanism for establishing community service priorities especially in urban areas. Nonetheless, the Legislature recognizes the critical role of many limited purpose agencies, especially in rural communities. The Legislature also finds, whether governmental services are proposed to be provided by a single-purpose agency, several agencies, or a multipurpose agency, responsibility should be given to the agency or agencies that can best provide government services.