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Inventory of the California State Assembly Public Safety Committee Records
See series descriptions for LP numbers.
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Title: California State Assembly Public Safety Committee Records
Dates: 1959-2010
Collection number: See series descriptions for LP numbers.
Creator:
Assembly Public Safety Committee
Collection Size:
193 cubic feet, including audiocassettes, audio disc (CD), dictabelts, videocassettes, and videodiscs (DVD)
Repository:
California State Archives
Sacramento, California
Abstract: The Assembly Public Safety Committee Records span from 1959 to 2010, consisting of 192 cubic feet of records (including audiovisual
materials) reflecting the activity of the committee in overseeing legislation and other matters affecting California's criminal
justice, correctional needs, and public safety. The records were created by four different records creators: (1) Assembly
Criminal Procedure Committee, 1959-1970; (2) Assembly Criminal Justice Committee, 1971-1982; (3) Assembly Criminal Law and
Public Safety Committee, 1983-1984; (4) and Assembly Public Safety Committee, 1985-2010.
Physical location: California State Archives
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
While the majority of the records are open for research, any access restrictions are noted in the record series descriptions.
For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the California State Archives. Permission for reproduction or publication
is given on behalf of the California State Archives as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility
for possible infringement which may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives
collections.
[Identification of item], Assembly Public Safety Committee records, LP[number]:[folder number], California State Archives,
Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.
Acquisition and Custodial History
The State Archives received these records in accordance with California Government Code 9080(b) which requires legislative
committees to transfer their records to the State Archives when they are no longer needed by the committee.
The Assembly Public Safety Committee is the most recent assembly committee to oversee the California Penal Code. The committee
was originally a part of the Assembly Judiciary Committee, which began with the first legislative session in 1849. The original
Judiciary Committee dealt with a broad legislative scope regarding both penal and civil matters. The division between the
Assembly Judiciary Committee and the committee that would become the Assembly Public Safety Committee occurred in 1959, as
a method to alleviate the workload of the Assembly Judiciary Committee. Committee members endured lengthy bi-weekly hearing
sessions, ranging from 8 p.m. to midnight. During these strenuous meetings, committee members heard and deliberated thousands
of bills a week. At the suggestion of Assemblyman John O’Connell, the Assembly Judiciary Committee was divided into two scopes:
Civil Codes and Penal Codes. In accordance with House Resolution 24 of 1959, the Assembly Judiciary Committee was split into
the Assembly Criminal Procedure Committee and the Assembly Judiciary-Civil Committee. As the scope of the new Judiciary Committee
dealt with California’s Civil Code, the Assembly Criminal Procedure Committee oversaw bills relating to the Penal Code, sanctions
and criminal offenses. Furthermore, the resolution established the committee both as a standing committee and an interim committee.
During the 1971 session, the name of the standing committee was changed to the Assembly Criminal Justice Committee. The committee
maintained the same subject scope as its predecessor, administering bills relating to the Penal Code and constitutional rights.
The committee focused on subjects involving the study of peace officers, juvenile court law, qualification of counsel in capital
cases, inspection of stolen vehicles, grand juries, youth authority and prisons (construction and discipline), felony offenses
and those misdemeanor violations not incidental to the subject matter of another committee. For most of the committee’s history,
the Assembly Criminal Justice Committee was chaired by Democrats, including Alan Sieroty, Bill McVittie and Terry Goggin.
In 1983, House Resolution 8 renamed the committee the Assembly Criminal Law and Public Safety Committee, altering the committee’s
scope to focus on matters regarding public safety. Examples of the committee’s public safety focus include subjects such
as juvenile justice reform and school violence prevention. Committee members introduced a bi-partisan bill aimed to enforce
appropriate punishment of juvenile offenders, increase public protection against juvenile crime and prevent juvenile crime
by more effective methods of rehabilitation. On the subject of school violence, committee members proposed bills with the
goal of protecting students and promoting a safe learning environment. Examples of school violence bills include increase
penalties for campus crimes against students and faculty, along with penalties against campus trespassers.
In 1985, the committee was renamed as the Assembly Public Safety Committee at the behest of committee chairman Larry Stirling.
Enforced by House Resolution 8, the committee maintained the scope of the Assembly Criminal Law and Public Safety, merely
changing the title to Public Safety to “focus more on its intended purposes”. Later, committee chairman Robert Hertzberg (D)
authored various bills relating to anti-crime measures, such as the establishment of inter-agency gang intervention programs,
enhanced sentencing for drug manufactures, and outlawing internet stalking and harassment.
The chairs of these committees from 1959 to 2010 were:
Assembly Criminal Procedure Committee, 1959-1970
O’Connell, John (Dem.), 1959-62
Winton, Gordon (Dem.), 1963
Young, Pearce (Dem.), 1964-1966
Biddle, W. Craig (Rep.), 1967-1968
Murphy, Frank (Rep.), 1969-1970
Assembly Criminal Justice Committee, 1971-1982
Beverly, Robert G. (Rep.), 1971-1972
Sieroty, Alan (Dem.), 1973-1976
Maddy, Kenneth L. (Rep.), 1977-1978
McVittie, Bill (Dem.), 1979-1980
Goggin, Terry (Dem.), 1981-1982
Assembly Criminal Law and Public Safety Committee, 1983-1984
Sher, Byron (Dem.), 1983-1984
Assembly Public Safety Committee, 1985-2010
Stirling, Larry (Rep.), 1985-1988
Burton, John L. (Dem.), 1989-1992
Epple, Bob (Dem.), 1993-1994
Boland, Paula (Rep.), 1995-1996
Hertzberg, Robert (Dem.), 1997-1998
Honda, Michael (Dem.), 1999-2000
Washington, Carl (Dem.), 2001-2002
Leno, Mark (Dem.), 2003-2006
Solorio, Jose (Dem.), 2007-2010
The Assembly Public Safety Committee Records span from 1959 to 2010, consisting of 192 cubic feet of records (including audiovisual
materials) reflecting the activity of the committee in overseeing legislation and other matters affecting California’s criminal
justice, correctional needs, and public safety. The records were created by four different records creators: (1) Assembly
Criminal Procedure Committee, 1959-1970; (2) Assembly Criminal Justice Committee, 1971-1982; (3) Assembly Criminal Law and
Public Safety Committee, 1983-1984; (4) and Assembly Public Safety Committee, 1985-2010. The collection is organized into
twelve series: Bill Files (1959-2010), Subject Files (1956-2000), Hearing Files (1960-1994), Correspondence Files (1985-1991),
Workload Reports (1968-1974), Agendas (1983-1990), Agendas and Roll Calls (1981-1984), Prison Files (1976-1986), Consultant
Correspondence (1986-1991), Summary Files (1987-1992), and Author’s Amendment Files (1990-1992).
Researchers interested in the history of the California Penal Code, public safety, criminal procedure and criminal justice
will find the Assembly Public Safety Committee records useful. Legal researchers will find the Consultant Correspondence series
helpful while researching the legality of various bills introduced by committee members. Researchers interested in prison
reform and restructuring will find the Prison Files series helpful in their research. Furthermore, the records reveal how
the scope and responsibilities of the committee changed and expanded each time it was renamed. The committee focused on subjects
relating to criminal justice and procedural bill files with a minimum importance of anti-crime bills, as seen with committee
hearings pertaining to the 1965 Watts Riots and riot responses and the Los Angeles County Justice System Subvention Program
(AB90, 1979-1980). The committee’s greater emphasis on public safety matters begins during the 1983-1984 legislative session
and the creation of the Assembly Criminal Law and Public Safety. Public safety-related records include Hearing Files regarding
the 1984 Victim’s Rights Bill (Proposition 8, 1984) and the 1984 Safe Schools Legislation Package (AB2480-AB2484, 1983-1984).
Notable legislation passed by the Assembly Public Safety Committee includes Three Strikes Initiative (AB971/Proposition 184,
1994) and Matt’s Law/college hazing (SB1454, 2005-2006).
Further accruals are expected.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.
Juvenile delinquency - California
School violence - California - Prevention
Prisons - Law and legislation - California
Related Material at the California State Archives
Assembly Judiciary Committee records
Senate Public Safety Committee records
Robert G. Beverly papers
Frank Murphy papers
Paula Boland papers
John L. Burton papers
Bob Epple papers
Michael Honda papers
Robert M. Hertzberg papers
Kenneth L. Maddy papers
William McVittie papers
Carl Washington papers
John L. Burton, Oral History Interview, 1986-1987, Conducted by Julie Shearer, University of California, Berkeley, for the
California State Archives State Government Oral History Program.
Honorable John A. O’Connell, Oral History Interview, 1955-1961, Conducted by Carole Hicke, Oral History Program, University
of California: Berkeley, for the California State Archives State Government Oral History Program.
Alan G. Sieroty, Oral History Interview, 1989-1990, Conducted by Carlos Vasquez, Oral History Program, UCLA Oral History Program,
for the California State Archives State Government Oral History Program.
Gordon H. Winton, Jr, Oral History Interview, 1987, Conducted by Enid H. Douglass, Claremont Graduate School, for the California
State Archives State Government Oral History Program.
Bill Files for the Assembly Criminal Procedure Committee from 1970; Assembly Criminal Justice Committee from 1971-1976; Assembly
Criminal Law and Public Safety Committee from 1983-1984; and Assembly Public Safety Committee from 1985-1990 are available
on microfilm at the California State Archives. Researchers are asked to use the microfilm copies when available.
Researchers interested in this committee are advised to check the papers of its Chairs. Committee Chairs often kept materials
relating to committee operations among their personal files. For Chair papers available at the California State Archives or
other repositories, this information can be found in the committee history.