Public Safety Omnibus.

(1) Existing law requires peace officers, among other standards, to be of good moral character, as determined by a thorough background investigation. Existing law requires an employer to disclose employment information, as defined, about an applicant not currently employed as a peace officer or an applicant for a position other than sworn peace officer within a law enforcement agency. Existing law requires the employment information to be kept confidential, but authorizes disclosure between the initial requesting law enforcement agency and another authorized law enforcement agency that is also conducting a peace officer background investigation. This bill would authorize disclosure of employment information by the initial requesting law enforcement agency and another authorized law enforcement agency conducting a background investigation on a law enforcement agency applicant that is not a peace officer. (2) Under existing law, Sections 597f and 597.1 of the Penal Code punish animal neglect by making it a misdemeanor to permit an animal to be in a building, street, lot, or other public place without proper care and attention. Both provisions of existing law allow a peace officer or other public entity to take possession of the animal, and both allow for the imposition of a lien on the animal for the costs of caring for the animal. Existing appellate case law holds that Section 597f of the Penal Code is unconstitutionally invalid for failing to provide the owner or person entitled to possession of the animal with reasonable notice and a hearing as required by the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Section 597.1 of the Penal Code requires that the owner or keeper of the animal, if known or ascertainable after reasonable investigation, be given notice and provided with the opportunity for a hearing either before or after the seizure of the animal. This bill would repeal Section 597f of the Penal Code and would update cross-references to that law in other code sections to instead refer to Section 597.1 of the Penal Code. (3) Existing law authorizes the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to offer a program under which female inmates who are committed to state prison may be allowed to participate in a voluntary alternative custody program in lieu of confinement in state prison. Existing case law requires this program to be available to all eligible inmates. This bill would make conforming changes in line with the case law. (4) Existing law presumes that an adult housed in a state prison has the capacity to give informed consent and make a health care decision, to give or revoke an advance health care directive, and to designate or disqualify a surrogate, unless a physician or dentist files a petition with the Office of Administrative Hearings to request a determination as to a patient's capacity. Existing law requires that petition to include specified information, including a discussion of the inmate patient's desires, if known, and whether there is an advance health care directive, a Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST) form, or other documented evidence of the inmate patient's directives or desires and how those indications might influence the decision to issue an order. This bill would remove discussion of an inmate patient's POLST from the petition process. (5) Existing law specifies the individuals who may inspect a juvenile case file, including the Department of Justice to carry out its duties as a repository for sex offender registration and notification in California. Existing law specifies the individuals who may receive copies of the juvenile case file, including court personnel and the district attorney, city attorney, or city prosecutor authorized to prosecute criminal or juvenile cases. This bill would authorize the Department of Justice to receive copies of juvenile case files to carry out its duties as a repository for sex offender registration and notification in California.