Public Safety.

The California Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review proposes substantial changes to public safety oversight and operations through legislation that establishes a three-year Tribal Police Pilot Program and modifies correctional system requirements. The bill authorizes the Department of Justice to select three federally recognized tribes whose officers can exercise peace officer authority both on tribal lands and elsewhere in California under specified conditions.

The legislation revises mental health professional requirements in state correctional facilities, allowing marriage and family therapists and professional clinical counselors to provide services while gaining licensure experience. It also expands college program eligibility for incarcerated individuals to include accredited public and nonprofit institutions outside California, while maintaining priorities for face-to-face instruction and comprehensive student support services.

For juvenile detention facilities, the Board of State and Community Corrections gains authority to delegate corrective action plan approvals to its executive director and to pursue civil enforcement of minimum standards compliance. The bill implements new tuberculosis screening protocols for correctional staff, requiring baseline testing within seven days of employment and annual screenings thereafter for those working inside institutions.

The $5 million appropriation from the General Fund supports implementation of the Tribal Police Pilot Program through June 2030. Participating tribes must adopt public records access policies, claims procedures, and limited sovereign immunity waivers related to peace officer activities. The Department of Justice will evaluate and report on the program's impacts on case clearance rates, crime levels, and tribal police recruitment by January 2030.