03-23-14ActionUpdate

AB1756SealingRecords
Please push the California State Legislature to pass AB 1756 and eliminate the fees charged by some counties to have youth records sealed.
1. ATTEND THE HEARING, TUESDAY (3/25/14) AT 9AM, IN ROOM 126, STATE CAPITOL:
If you are in Sacramento on Tuesday, March 25th, please attend the Assembly Public Safety Committee hearing and voice your support for AB 1756 in order to eliminate the fees for youth to have their records sealed.
2. CALL THE MEMBERS OF THE ASSEMBLY PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE AND URGE THEM TO VOTE YES ON THE BILL:
Say, “Hi.  This is ______________, from (name your organization), and I am calling to urge the Assembly Member to vote yes on AB 1756 when it comes up in tomorrow’s Assembly Public Safety Committee hearing.  This bill will eliminate the fees to have juvenile records sealed and give all youth a chance to start over strong.

The Committee Members can be reached at:

Chair, Assembly Member Tom Ammiano
Room 3146, Sacramento, CA 94249-0017; (916) 319-2017

Vice Chair, Assembly Member Melissa Melendez
Room 4009, Sacramento, CA 94249-0067; (916) 319-2067

Assembly Member Reginald B. Jones-Sawyer
Room 4164, Sacramento, CA 94249-0059; (916) 319-2059

Assembly Member Bill Quirk
Room 2175, Sacramento, CA 94249-0020; (916) 319-2020

Assembly Member Mark Stone
Room 5155, Sacramento, CA 94249-0029; (916) 319-2029

Assembly Member Marie Waldron
Room 5128, Sacramento, CA 94249-0075; (916) 319-2075

You don’t have to call Assembly Member Nancy Skinner, because she is the author of the bill.
3. SEND A LETTER OF SUPPORT FROM YOUR ORGANIZATION, SCHOOL OR HOUSE OF WORSHIP:
If you haven’t already done so, please take a few minutes to send a letter of support in for the bill BY MONDAY, MARCH 24, 2014.  Directly below is a sample letter.

[SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION’S LETTERHEAD]

[DATE]

The Honorable Tom Ammiano

Chair, Assembly Public Safety

State Capitol, Sacramento, CA 95814

Via fax: 916-319-3745

RE: SUPPORT FOR AB 1756 “STARTING OVER STRONG” (SKINNER)

Dear Assemblymember Ammiano,

[SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION] strongly supports AB 1756. This bill improves economic outcomes for California’s youth and, in so doing, protects public safety by eliminating an unnecessary barrier to reentry for youth who are eligible for and seeking the juvenile record sealing remedy.

[ADD BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION AND INTEREST IN THIS ISSUE]

Juvenile records can create barriers to employment and housing for young people. An unsealed juvenile record can appear on a background checks, and lead to an unfairly adverse employment or housing decision. Without stable employment and housing, there is a higher chance that young people will recidivate and become involved in the adult criminal justice system.

Current law allows counties to charge young people up to $150 for sealing their juvenile record; a prohibitively expensive cost for California’s poor youth. An inability to access the juvenile record remedy can result in an inability to access stable employment and housing.

AB 1756 makes the record sealing process more affordable for one of California’s most vulnerable populations—its youth. This fee, as currently imposed, does not generate substantial revenue, and, even if it did, we should use this opportunity to invest in and support our youth instead of saddling them with additional financial burden. By eliminating the fee for record sealing for youth under the age of twenty-six, AB 1756 will increase public safety and reduce recidivism.

AB 1756 is a small change that will positively impact public safety and economic opportunity for California youth in big ways. For these reasons, we strongly support AB 1756.

Sincerely,

[NAME, TITLE]

CC: Assemblymember Nancy Skinner, fax: 916-319-2115