Violent felonies: domestic violence.

Assembly Members Patterson and Alanis propose expanding California's definition of violent felonies to include felony domestic violence, a change that would subject these offenses to enhanced sentencing provisions under the state's three strikes law. The legislation amends multiple sections of the Penal Code to incorporate felony domestic violence violations of Section 273.5 into the catalog of crimes classified as violent felonies.

The bill establishes specific timeframes for implementing these changes, with provisions taking effect for offenses committed after January 1, 2026. Under the amended code, individuals convicted of felony domestic violence would face the same enhanced penalties currently applied to other violent felonies, including potential sentence increases for those with prior convictions. The legislation maintains existing requirements that enhanced sentences must be separately charged and proven.

Local jurisdictions must implement these changes without state reimbursement, as the modifications fall under constitutional provisions regarding crime definition adjustments. The bill requires a two-thirds vote in each legislative house for passage, reflecting the constitutional requirements for amending California's three strikes law.