Law enforcement agencies: military equipment: funding, acquisition, and use.

Existing law designates the Department of General Services as the agency for the State of California responsible for distribution of federal surplus personal property, excepting food commodities, and requires the department to, among other things, do all things necessary to the execution of its powers and duties as the state agency for the distribution of federal personal surplus property, excepting food commodities, in accordance with specified federal law. Existing law, the Federal Surplus Property Acquisition Law of 1945, authorizes a local agency, as defined, to acquire surplus federal property without regard to any law which requires posting of notices or advertising for bids, inviting or receiving bids, or delivery of purchases before payment, or which prevents the local agency from bidding on federal surplus property. Existing federal law authorizes the Department of Defense to transfer surplus personal property, including arms and ammunition, to federal or state agencies for use in law enforcement activities, subject to specified conditions, at no cost to the acquiring agency. This bill would require a law enforcement agency, defined to include specified state and local entities, to publish a military equipment use policy prior to taking certain actions relating to the funding, acquisition, or use of military equipment, as defined. The bill would also impose similar publishing requirements for the continued use of military equipment acquired prior to January 1, 2019. The bill would require that the governing body of a law enforcement agency consider a proposed military equipment use policy at a regular meeting held pursuant to specified open meeting laws. The bill would also require that a law enforcement agency prepare and make public an annual report for each piece of military equipment for as long as the military equipment is in use and to hold a community engagement meeting within 30 days of the public release of that report, as provided. The bill would require the state agency that has signed a current memorandum of agreement with the federal Defense Logistics Agency for the purpose of administering a state program for acquiring surplus military equipment, pursuant to specified federal law, to develop by January 31, 2019, and annually update a list of military equipment, as specified, and post the list on its Internet Web site. The bill would also include findings that the changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities. By adding to the duties of local officials with respect to the funding, acquisition, and use of military equipment, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.