Bill Text: CA AB567 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended

California Assembly Bill 567

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

Bill Title: Criminal records: relief.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Passed) 2023-10-08 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 444, Statutes of 2023. [AB567 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AB567-Amended.html

Amended IN Assembly March 29, 2023

Amended IN Assembly March 16, 2023

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 567

Introduced by Assembly Member Ting

February 08, 2023

An act to amend Section 1203.425 of the Penal Code, relating to criminal records.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 567, as amended, Ting. Criminal records: relief.

Existing law, subject to an appropriation, requires the Department of Justice, on a monthly basis, to review the records in the statewide criminal justice databases and identify persons who are eligible for automatic conviction record relief. Under existing law, a person is eligible for automatic conviction record relief if, on or after January 1, 1973, they were sentenced to probation, and completed it without revocation, or if they were convicted of an infraction or a misdemeanor, and other criteria are met, as specified. Existing law, commencing July 1, 2023, and subject to an appropriation, generally makes this arrest record relief available to a person who has been arrested for a felony, including a felony punishable by imprisonment in the state prison, as specified.

This bill ~~would, once relief is granted for a record, prohibit subsequent events, including new criminal records related to the subject of the record, from affecting relief already granted. The bill~~ would require the department to provide confirmation that relief was granted upon request from the subject of the record. The bill would make other technical changes.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 1203.425 of the Penal Code, as amended by Section 3 of Chapter 842 of the Statutes of 2022, is amended to read:

1203.425.

(a) (1) (A) Commencing July 1, 2023, and subject to an appropriation in the annual Budget Act, on a monthly basis, the Department of Justice shall review the records in the statewide criminal justice databases, and based on information in the state summary criminal history repository and the Supervised Release File, shall identify persons with convictions that meet the criteria set forth in subparagraph (B) and are eligible for automatic conviction record relief.

(B) A person is eligible for automatic conviction relief pursuant to this section if they meet all of the following conditions:

(i) The person is not required to register pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration Act.

(ii) The person does not have an active record for local, state, or federal supervision in the Supervised Release File.

(iii) Based upon the information available in the department’s record, including disposition dates and sentencing terms, it does not appear that the person is currently serving a sentence for an offense and there is no indication of pending criminal charges.

(iv) The conviction meets either of the following criteria:

(I) The conviction occurred on or after January 1, 1973, and meets either of the following criteria:

(ia) The defendant was sentenced to probation and, based upon the disposition date and the term of probation specified in the department’s records, appears to have completed their term of probation without revocation.

(ib) The defendant was convicted of an infraction or misdemeanor other than one eligible under sub-subclause (ia), and, based upon the disposition date and the term specified in the department’s records, the defendant appears to have completed their sentence, and at least one calendar year has elapsed since the date of judgment.

(II) The conviction occurred on or after January 1, 2005, the defendant was convicted of a felony other than one for which the defendant completed probation without revocation, and based upon the disposition date and the sentence specified in the department’s records, appears to have completed all terms of incarceration, probation, mandatory supervision, postrelease community supervision, and parole, and a period of four years has elapsed since the date on which the defendant completed probation or supervision for that conviction and during which the defendant was not convicted of a new felony offense. This subclause does not apply to a conviction of a serious felony defined in subdivision (c) of Section 1192.7, a violent felony as defined in Section 667.5, or a felony offense requiring registration pursuant to Chapter 5.5 (commencing with Section 290) of Title 9 of Part 1.

(2) (A) Except as specified in subdivision (b), the department shall grant relief, including dismissal of a conviction, to a person identified pursuant to paragraph (1) without requiring a petition or motion by a party for that relief if the relevant information is present in the department’s electronic records.

(B) The state summary criminal history information shall include, directly next to or below the entry or entries regarding the person’s criminal record, a note stating “relief granted,” listing the date that the department granted relief and this section. This note shall be included in all statewide criminal databases with a record of the conviction.

(C) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (4) and in Section 13555 of the Vehicle Code, a person granted conviction relief pursuant to this section shall be released from all penalties and disabilities resulting from the offense of which the person has been convicted.

~~(D)Once relief is granted for a record, subsequent events, including new criminal records related to the subject of the record, shall have no bearing on relief already granted under this section.~~

(3) (A) Commencing July 1, 2022, and subject to an appropriation in the annual Budget Act, on a monthly basis, the department shall electronically submit a notice to the superior court having jurisdiction over the criminal case, informing the court of all cases for which a complaint was filed in that jurisdiction and for which relief was granted pursuant to this section. Commencing on January 1, 2023, for any record retained by the court pursuant to Section 68152 of the Government Code, except as provided in paragraph (4), the court shall not disclose information concerning a conviction granted relief pursuant to this section or Section 1203.4, 1203.4a, 1203.41, or 1203.42, to any person or entity, in any format, except to the person whose conviction was granted relief or a criminal justice agency, as defined in Section 851.92.

(B) If probation is transferred pursuant to Section 1203.9, the department shall electronically submit a notice as provided in subparagraph (A) to both the transferring court and any subsequent receiving court. The electronic notice shall be in a mutually agreed upon format.

(C) If a receiving court reduces a felony to a misdemeanor pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 17, or dismisses a conviction pursuant to law, including, but not limited to, Section 1203.4, 1203.4a, 1203.41, 1203.42, 1203.43, or 1203.49, it shall furnish a disposition report to the department with the original case number and CII number from the transferring court. The department shall electronically submit a notice to the superior court that sentenced the defendant. If probation is transferred multiple times, the department shall electronically submit a notice to all other involved courts. The electronic notice shall be in a mutually agreed upon format.

(D) If a court receives notification from the department pursuant to subparagraph (B), the court shall update its records to reflect the reduction or dismissal. If a court receives notification that a case was dismissed pursuant to this section or Section 1203.4, 1203.4a, 1203.41, or 1203.42, the court shall update its records to reflect the dismissal and shall not disclose information concerning a conviction granted relief to any person or entity, in any format, except to the person whose conviction was granted relief or a criminal justice agency, as defined in Section 851.92.

(4) Relief granted pursuant to this section is subject to the following conditions:

(A) Relief granted pursuant to this section does not relieve a person of the obligation to disclose a criminal conviction in response to a direct question contained in a questionnaire or application for employment as a peace officer, as defined in Section 830.

(B) Relief granted pursuant to this section does not relieve a person of the obligation to disclose the conviction in response to a direct question contained in a questionnaire or application for public office, for enrollment as a provider of in-home supportive services and waiver personal care services pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section 12300) of Chapter 3 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code or pursuant to Section 14132.95, 14132.952, 14132.956, or 14132.97 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, or for contracting with the California State Lottery Commission.

(C) Relief granted pursuant to this section has no effect on the ability of a criminal justice agency, as defined in Section 851.92, to access and use records that are granted relief to the same extent that would have been permitted for a criminal justice agency had relief not been granted.

(D) Relief granted pursuant to this section does not limit the jurisdiction of the court over a subsequently filed motion to amend the record, petition or motion for postconviction relief, or collateral attack on a conviction for which relief has been granted pursuant to this section.

(E) Relief granted pursuant to this section does not affect a person’s authorization to own, possess, or have in the person’s custody or control a firearm, or the person’s susceptibility to conviction under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 29800) of Division 9 of Title 4 of Part 6, if the criminal conviction would otherwise affect this authorization or susceptibility.

(F) Relief granted pursuant to this section does not affect a prohibition from holding public office that would otherwise apply under law as a result of the criminal conviction.

(G) Relief granted pursuant to this section does not release a person from the terms and conditions of any unexpired criminal protective order that has been issued by the court pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (i) of Section 136.2, subdivision (j) of Section 273.5, subdivision (l) of Section 368, or subdivision (k) of Section 646.9. These protective orders shall remain in full effect until expiration or until any further order by the court modifying or terminating the order, despite the dismissal of the underlying conviction.

(H) Relief granted pursuant to this section does not affect the authority to receive, or take adverse action based on, criminal history information, including the authority to receive certified court records received or evaluated pursuant to Section 1522, 1568.09, 1569.17, or 1596.871 of the Health and Safety Code, or pursuant to any statutory or regulatory provisions that incorporate the criteria of those sections.

(I) Relief granted pursuant to this section does not make eligible a person who is otherwise ineligible under state or federal law or regulation to provide, or receive payment for providing, in-home supportive services and waiver personal care services pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section 12300) of Chapter 3 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, or pursuant to Section 14132.95, 14132.952, 14132.956, or 14132.97 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

(J) In a subsequent prosecution of the defendant for any other offense, the prior conviction may be pleaded and proved and shall have the same effect as if the relief had not been granted.

(K) (i) Relief granted pursuant to this section does not affect the authority to receive, or take adverse action based on, criminal history information, including the authority to receive certified court records received or evaluated pursuant to Article 1 (commencing with Section 44000) of Chapter 1, Article 3 (commencing with Section 44240) and Article 8 (commencing with Section 44330) of Chapter 2, Article 1 (commencing with Section 44420) of Chapter 3, Article 3 (commencing with Section 44930) of Chapter 4, Article 1 (commencing with Section 45100) and Article 6 (commencing with Section 45240) of Chapter 5, of Part 25 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Education Code, or pursuant to any statutory or regulatory provisions that relate to, incorporate, expand ~~upon~~ upon, or interpret the authority of those provisions.

(ii) Notwithstanding clause (i) or any other law, information for a conviction for a controlled substance offense listed in Section 11350 or 11377, or former Section 11500 or 11500.5, of the Health and Safety Code that is more than five years old, for which relief is granted pursuant to this section, shall not be disclosed.

(L) Relief granted pursuant to this section does not release the defendant from the terms and conditions of any unexpired criminal protective orders that have been issued by the court pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (i) of Section 136.2, subdivision (j) of Section 273.5, subdivision (l) of Section 368, or subdivision (k) of Section 646.9. These protective orders shall remain in full effect until expiration or until any further order by the court modifying or terminating the order, despite the dismissal of the underlying accusation or information.

(5) This section shall not limit petitions, motions, or orders for relief in a criminal case, as required or authorized by any other law, including, but not limited to, Sections 1016.5, 1203.4, 1203.4a, 1203.4b, 1203.41, 1203.42, 1203.49, and 1473.7. This section shall not limit petitions for a certificate of rehabilitation or pardon pursuant to Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 4852.01) of Title 6 of Part 3.

(6) Commencing July 1, 2022, and subject to an appropriation in the annual Budget Act, the department shall annually publish statistics for each county regarding the total number of convictions granted relief pursuant to this section and the total number of convictions prohibited from automatic relief pursuant to subdivision (b), on the OpenJustice Web portal, as defined in Section 13010.

(7) Upon request from the subject of the record, the department shall provide confirmation that relief was granted pursuant to this section.

(b) (1) The prosecuting attorney or probation department may, no later than 90 calendar days before the date of a person’s eligibility for relief pursuant to this section, file a petition to prohibit the department from granting automatic relief pursuant to this section, based on a showing that granting that relief would pose a substantial threat to the public safety. If probation was transferred pursuant to Section 1203.9, the prosecuting attorney or probation department in either the receiving county or the transferring county shall file the petition in the county of current jurisdiction.

(2) The court shall give notice to the defendant and conduct a hearing on the petition within 45 days after the petition is filed.

(3) At a hearing on the petition pursuant to this subdivision, the defendant, the probation department, the prosecuting attorney, and the arresting agency, through the prosecuting attorney, may present evidence to the court. Notwithstanding Sections 1538.5 and 1539, the hearing may be heard and determined upon declarations, affidavits, police investigative reports, copies of state summary criminal history information and local summary criminal history information, or any other evidence submitted by the parties that is material, reliable, and relevant.

(4) The prosecutor or probation department has the initial burden of proof to show that granting conviction relief would pose a substantial threat to the public safety. In determining whether granting relief would pose a substantial threat to the public safety, the court may consider any relevant ~~factors~~ factors, including, but not limited to, either of the following:

(A) Declarations or evidence regarding the offense for which a grant of relief is being contested.

(B) The defendant’s record of arrests and convictions.

(5) If the court finds that the prosecutor or probation department has satisfied the burden of proof, the burden shifts to the defendant to show that the hardship of not obtaining relief outweighs the threat to the public safety of providing relief. In determining whether the defendant’s hardship outweighs the threat to the public safety, the court may consider any relevant ~~factors~~ factors, including, but not limited to, either of the following:

(A) The hardship to the defendant that has been caused by the conviction and that would be caused if relief is not granted.

(B) Declarations or evidence regarding the defendant’s good character.

(6) If the court grants a petition pursuant to this subdivision, the court shall furnish a disposition report to the Department of Justice pursuant to Section 13151, stating that relief pursuant to this section was denied, and the department shall not grant relief pursuant to this section. If probation was transferred pursuant to Section 1203.9, the department shall electronically submit a notice to the transferring court, and, if probation was transferred multiple times, to all other involved courts.

(7) A person denied relief pursuant to this section may continue to be eligible for relief pursuant to law, including, but not limited to, Section 1203.4, 1203.4a, 1203.4b, or 1203.41. If the court subsequently grants relief pursuant to one of those sections, the court shall furnish a disposition report to the Department of Justice pursuant to Section 13151, stating that relief was granted pursuant to the applicable section, and the department shall grant relief pursuant to that section. If probation was transferred pursuant to Section 1203.9, the department shall electronically submit a notice that relief was granted pursuant to the applicable section to the transferring court and, if probation was transferred multiple times, to all other involved courts.

(c) At the time of sentencing, the court shall advise a defendant, either orally or in writing, of the provisions of this section and of the defendant’s right, if any, to petition for a certificate of rehabilitation and pardon.

(d) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2023.