An act to add Section 13156 to the Penal Code, relating to criminal justice statistics.
SB 319 would require the California Department of Justice and the Judicial Council to collect and publish new county-level criminal justice statistics focused on convictions and court outcomes for specified offenses, including Penal Code Section 666.1 and Health and Safety Code Section 11395. The bill directs DOJ to publish annual reports with monthly county data on conviction counts, misdemeanor/felony classification, prior-conviction history, and repeat-offender measures. It also requires counties to report detailed spending and funding information for sheriff, probation, and court activities, including unspent balances, administrative costs, contracted services, and county Medi-Cal nonfederal share expenditures related to certain behavioral health services.
The bill further requires superior courts to report to the Judicial Council on diversion and judicial review metrics for people charged under the specified offenses, including enrollment, discharge outcomes, treatment-related services billed to Medi-Cal or private pay, diagnosis information, and the results of mandated judicial review proceedings. Beginning in 2027, the Judicial Council must publish an annual report with these metrics on its website. The measure would create a state-mandated local program because counties and courts would have new reporting obligations, and it includes a reimbursement provision if the Commission on State Mandates finds reimbursable costs.
The overall sentiment reflected in the available legislative history appears favorable but cautious. The bill passed the April 22 committee vote 5-0 and was later placed on the suspense file by the Appropriations Committee, which is typical for measures with potential fiscal and administrative impacts rather than a sign of opposition. No committee transcript was provided, so there is no recorded floor or committee debate to indicate broader controversy or support beyond the unanimous committee vote.
The main point of contention is likely the scope and burden of the reporting requirements. Counties and superior courts would need to gather and submit detailed financial, demographic, and program-level data, including race and gender breakdowns and Medi-Cal-related information, which may raise privacy, workload, and implementation concerns. Fiscal impact is also central, as the bill is in the Appropriations Committee and expressly contemplates state reimbursement for mandated local costs. Supporters would likely view the bill as a transparency and accountability measure for criminal justice and diversion programs, while skeptics may focus on administrative complexity and cost.
SB 319 would add Penal Code Section 13156 and expand reporting duties for the Department of Justice, counties, superior courts, and the Judicial Council. It would not directly change criminal penalties or substantive criminal procedure, but it would create new statutory obligations to collect, aggregate, and publish county-level criminal justice, diversion, and funding data. Because counties and courts must provide the information, the bill creates a state-mandated local program and may trigger state reimbursement if the Commission on State Mandates so determines.
The available voting history suggests the bill has been received positively in committee, with a unanimous 5-0 do pass vote on April 22, 2025. Its later placement on the suspense file indicates fiscal scrutiny rather than substantive rejection. With no committee transcript available, there is no evidence of organized opposition in the record provided, but the suspense-file action implies lawmakers are attentive to the bill’s cost and administrative workload.
The likely areas of contention are the breadth, cost, and operational burden of the reporting mandates. Counties would have to report detailed budget, expenditure, unspent-funds, and contract data, while courts would have to provide race- and gender-disaggregated diversion, treatment, and judicial-review metrics tied to specific offenses. Privacy and data-management concerns may also arise because the bill requires granular justice-system and health-related information, including Medi-Cal-related services and diagnoses. Fiscal concerns are underscored by the bill’s placement in Appropriations and its express reimbursement language.