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SACRAMENTO — Today, the California Senate Public Safety Committee voted to pass Senate Bill 230 with substantial amendments, including an amendment requiring that SB 230’s passage be contingent on the passage of AB 392: The California Act to Save Lives.
AB 392 was introduced by Assemblymember Shirley Weber (D-San Diego) to change California’s use of force standard from the “reasonable” standard to the “necessary” standard to reduce the number of police shootings and hold law enforcement officers accountable.
The current “reasonable” standard allows officers to kill people even when there is no immediate threat and officers have alternatives to deadly force. On the other hand, the “necessary” standard would ensure that officers avoid using deadly force whenever possible, allowing them to use deadly force only when there is an immediate threat to their safety and when there are no reasonable alternatives available.
The ACLU of California, Alliance for Boys and Men of Color/PolicyLink, Anti Police-Terror Project, Black Lives Matter - California, California Faculty Association, Justice Teams Network, PICO California, Silicon Valley De-Bug, STOP Coalition, and Youth Justice Coalition, proponents of AB 392, issued this joint statement in response to today’s committee vote:
The Senate Public Safety Committee has made it clear: AB 392 is the vehicle for the reform Californians want and need to keep families safe and free from police violence.
AB 392 is still the only bill that will meaningfully change the current use of force standard, which allows police officers to kill people even when it is not necessary to defend themselves or others.
Today’s amendments demonstrate that the status quo on policing has failed far too many California families. Thanks to the leadership of families and communities most affected by police brutality, abuse, and violence, consensus is growing that change is required to achieve real justice, real accountability, and real reform.
AB 392 is that reform.”
