4 Leno Bills Pass Senate Public Safety Committee

Four bills authored by state Sen. Mark Leno passed the Senate Public Safety Committee on Tuesday. The measures address sex trafficking of minors, warrantless searches of GPS tracking devices by law enforcement agencies, strip searches of non-violent detainees, and the legality of medical marijuana collectives and cooperatives.

“These bills passed by the Public Safety Committee will positively impact Californians from all walks of life,” said  Leno, D-San Francisco. “They aim to protect victims of sex trafficking, Californians who have GPS devices on their cell phones, non-violent detainees in our jails, and medical cannabis patients.

Senate Bill 1133 – Sex Trafficking: Asset Forfeiture

SB 1133 gives prosecutors new tools to ensure that criminals who are convicted of sex trafficking crimes involving minors are not able to retain financial benefits from their crimes. The bill expands the list of assets that a subject to forfeiture upon conviction and uses those resources to provide treatment and services to victims. SB 1133 is sponsored by Attorney General Kamala D. Harris and supported by the Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC) and victims’ rights organizations. SB 1133 will be heard next in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Senate Bill 1182 – Medical Cannabis

SB 1182 clarifies the legality of medical cannabis collectives and cooperatives and their right to receive compensation. The bill aims to end confusion about the validity of medical marijuana businesses that recently spurred federal enforcement actions and threats of prosecution. The bill is supported by Americans for Safe Access, the American Civil Liberties Union, Drug Policy Alliance and numerous patients’ rights groups. SB 1182 will be heard next on the Senate floor.

Senate Bill 1434 – Location Privacy

SB 1434 follows the lead of the U.S. Supreme Court, which recently ruled that it was unconstitutional for police to install a GPS (Global Positioning System) device on an individual’s car without a warrant. The bill ensures that law enforcement agencies obtain a warrant before acquiring a person’s location information from an electronic device, including cell phone. The bill is co-sponsored by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of California and Electronic Frontier Foundation. SB 1434 will be heard next on the Senate Floor.

Senate Bill 1536 – Strip Searches

SB 1536 clarifies existing state law to allow detainees adequate time to post bail or be released on their own recognizance before they are placed within the general population of a jail, where they could be subject to strip searches and visual body cavity searches. The bill is designed to protect Californians from intrusive searches when they are taken into custody for minor offenses that do not involve drugs, weapons or violence. SB 1536 will be heard next in the Senate Appropriations Committee.