Crimes: parole, theft, and DNA collection.

(1) Existing law, as amended by the DNA Fingerprint, Unsolved Crime and Innocence Protection Act, Proposition 69, approved by the voters at the November 2, 2004, statewide general election (the DNA act) , requires a person who has been convicted of a felony offense to provide buccal swab samples, right thumbprints, and a full palm print impression of each hand, and any blood specimens or other biological samples required for law enforcement identification analysis. Existing law makes this requirement retroactive, regardless of when the crime charged or committed became a qualifying offense. Existing law authorizes amendments to the DNA act that are consistent with its purposes. This bill would also require persons convicted of specified misdemeanors to provide buccal swab samples, right thumbprints, and a full palm print impression of each hand, and any blood specimens or other biological samples required for law enforcement identification analysis. By imposing additional duties on local law enforcement agencies to collect and forward these samples, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law, the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act, enacted as an initiative statute by Proposition 47, as approved by the electors at the November 4, 2014, statewide general election, makes the theft of money, labor, or property petty theft, punishable as a misdemeanor, whenever the value of the property taken does not exceed $950. Proposition 47 requires shoplifting, defined as entering a commercial establishment with the intent to commit larceny if the value of the property taken does not exceed $950, to be punished as a misdemeanor. Proposition 47 requires the crime of shoplifting to be charged as shoplifting and prohibits a person who is charged with shoplifting from being charged with burglary or theft of the same property. Existing law authorizes the Legislature to amend the provisions of the act by a 23 vote of each house of the Legislature if it is consistent with, and furthers the purpose of, the act. This bill would recast the shoplifting provisions as entering a commercial establishment with the intent to steal retail property or merchandise, as defined. By amending the definition of shoplifting enacted by Proposition 47, this bill would require a23 vote. Existing law, the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act, makes a registered sex offender or a person with a prior conviction for certain serious or violent felonies, such as a sexually violent offense, who commits petty theft, subject to imprisonment in the county jail for up to one year or in the state prison for 16 months, or 2 or 3 years. This bill would apply that penalty to a person who has 2 prior convictions for specified offenses, including certain felonies, and including petty theft and shoplifting, who is subsequently convicted of petty theft or shoplifting if the value of the money, labor, or real or personal property taken exceeds $250. (3) Existing provisions of the California Constitution make a person who was convicted of a nonviolent offense and sentenced to state prison eligible for parole consideration after completing the full term of the person's primary offense. Existing law enumerates various felonies as violent. This bill would classify other existing felonies as "violent felonies" for those purposes, and would apply that definition to persons currently incarcerated in state prison, regardless of the date on which their sentence was imposed. Existing law provides for postrelease community supervision of felons, as provided, including the imposition of intermediate sanctions for noncompliant offender activity, including, among other things, incarceration in jail not exceeding 10 days, mandatory community service, and the revocation of postrelease community supervision by a court or a revocation hearing officer. Existing law requires the supervising county agency who has determined, following application of its assessment processes, that intermediate sanctions are not appropriate, to petition the court to revoke, modify, or terminate postrelease community supervision. This bill would apply that requirement to the circumstance of a supervised offender who has violated the offender's conditions of release 3 times. The bill would also require a county probation department, upon a decision to impose a period of flash incarceration, to notify the court, public defender, district attorney, and sheriff of each imposition of flash incarceration. By imposing additional duties on local governments, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (4) 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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.