Today, the Democrat-controlled Assembly Appropriations Committee killed the bipartisan “Sexually Violent Predator Accountability, Fairness, and Enforcement Act” (SAFE Act) by Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones (R-San Diego) without a vote. Click here for SAFE Act factsheet and here for more information about the bill and SVP issue.
“The SAFE Act is designed to protect our neighborhoods and families from dangerous sexually violent predators, perpetrators of some of the most horrendous and violent sex crimes,” said Leader Jones. “By blocking our bipartisan measure, Assembly Democrat leadership is now complicit in helping the Newsom Administration protect these predators over families.”
Senate Bill 1074, called the SAFE Act, aims to prevent the Newsom Administration from secretly releasing sexually violent predators (SVPs) into family-friendly neighborhoods throughout the state with no regard for public safety. SB 1074 is the third bipartisan SVP bill Leader Jones has authored in the last three years.
Specifically, SB 1074 would:
1. Require that the Department of State Hospitals (DSH) ensures its vendor (Liberty Healthcare) considers public safety when placing SVPs; and
2. Require the DSH to take ownership in the placement process by approving any placements BEFORE the vendor can sign any leases for placement locations. This will help prevent the DSH vendor (Liberty Healthcare) from wasting tax dollars on premature leases for SVPs.
“Three times I’ve introduced a bill to force the Newsom Administration to take responsibility for the sexually violent predators and rapists it releases into our backyards,” continued Leader Jones. “Assembly Democrat leadership is actively shielding the Newsom Administration from any responsibility to protect our communities. Without the SAFE Act, predators will continue to be dumped wherever is convenient. I am looking forward to the results of our audit of the Newsom Administration and Liberty Healthcare, which I am sure will reveal just how dangerous this predator release program really is.”
Sexually violent predators are convicted of a sexually violent offense and diagnosed with a mental disorder that predisposes them to be a danger to others with a high likelihood to re-offend. When a court orders their conditional release, the DSH allows their vendor, Liberty Healthcare, the freedom to house SVPs in unsuspecting communities across California. A new report indicates that housing a single SVP costs taxpayers over $456,000 annually.
The SAFE Act is coauthored by Senators Marie Alvarado-Gil (R-Jackson), Brian Dahle (R-Bieber), Janet Nguyen (R-Huntington Beach), Roger W. Niello (R-Fair Oaks), Kelly Seyarto (R-Murrieta), and Assemblymembers Juan Alanis (R-Modesto), Megan Dahle (R-Bieber), Joe Patterson (R-Rocklin), and Marie Waldron (R-Valley Center).
Earlier this year, the SAFE Act unanimously passed out of the Senate and Assembly Public Safety Committees, and off of the Senate Floor with strong bipartisan support.
During today’s Assembly Appropriations Committee suspense hearing, Democrat leadership allowed votes on hundreds of bills, but blocked the SAFE Act from even coming up for a vote. Without a vote at today’s hearing, the measure has no path to move forward this year.
Leader Jones has been a trailblazer in fighting SVP placements in San Diego County for years. Last year, Leader Jones secured an audit of Liberty Healthcare, the state contractor responsible for overseeing SVP placements. The audit results are expected to be released in Fall 2024.