Crimes: serious and violent felonies.

Assembly Member Lackey's proposal to amend California's violent felony classifications would add sexual offenses against minors with developmental disabilities to the state's list of violent felonies, expanding the scope of crimes subject to enhanced sentencing provisions under the Penal Code.

The amendment modifies Section 667.5, which currently imposes additional prison terms for new offenses when defendants have prior violent felony convictions. Under existing provisions, courts must add three-year terms for each prior violent felony conviction, provided the defendant has not remained free of both prison custody and new felony convictions for 10 years. The law also mandates one-year terms for prior sexually violent offense convictions, with a five-year clean record exception.

The bill maintains the current framework of sentencing enhancements while expanding the definition of violent felonies to include specified rape and sexual assault crimes against minors with developmental disabilities. This addition places these offenses in the same category as existing violent felonies such as murder, mayhem, robbery, and arson. The classification applies to cases where the victim's developmental disability status is specifically pleaded and proved.

While creating a state-mandated local program through this expansion of enhancement criteria, the legislation specifies that no state reimbursement will be required for local agencies and school districts. This determination stems from the bill's nature as a modification to crime definitions and penalties under California's constitutional provisions regarding state mandates.