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Measure SB 485
Authors Reyes  
Subject County public defender: appointment.
Relating To relating to local government.
Title An act to amend Section 27703 of the Government Code, relating to local government.
Last Action Dt 2025-09-16
State Enrolled
Status In Floor Process
Active? Y
Vote Required Majority
Appropriation No
Fiscal Committee Yes
Local Program Yes
Substantive Changes None
Urgency No
Tax Levy No
Leginfo Link Bill
Actions
2025-10-13     Vetoed by the Governor.
2025-10-13     In Senate. Consideration of Governor's veto pending.
2025-09-22     Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.
2025-09-11     Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2899.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
2025-09-09     In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
2025-09-09     Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 62. Noes 12. Page 3074.) Ordered to the Senate.
2025-09-04     Ordered to third reading.
2025-09-04     Read third time and amended.
2025-09-02     Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-08-29     From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 12. Noes 2.) (August 29).
2025-08-20     August 20 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.
2025-07-16     From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (July 15). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-07-03     From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. (Ayes 7. Noes 1.) (July 2). Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
2025-06-10     June 18 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.
2025-05-29     Referred to Coms. on L. GOV. and PUB. S.
2025-05-08     Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 36. Noes 0. Page 1050.) Ordered to the Assembly.
2025-05-08     In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
2025-05-06     Read second time. Ordered to consent calendar.
2025-05-05     From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8 and ordered to consent calendar.
2025-04-25     Set for hearing May 5.
2025-04-23     From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 841.) (April 22). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-04-09     Set for hearing April 22.
2025-04-07     Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
2025-04-03     From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 637.) (April 2).
2025-03-24     Set for hearing April 2.
2025-02-26     Referred to Coms. on L. GOV. and PUB. S.
2025-02-20     From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 22.
2025-02-19     Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.
Keywords
Tags
Versions
Enrolled     2025-09-16
Amended Assembly     2025-09-04
Amended Senate     2025-04-07
Introduced     2025-02-19
Last Version Text
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		<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Senator Reyes</ns0:AuthorText>
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		<ns0:Title>An act to amend Section 27703 of the Government Code, relating to local government. </ns0:Title>
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			<ns0:Subject>County public defender: appointment.</ns0:Subject>
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			<html:p>Existing law authorizes the board of supervisors of a county to establish the office of public defender for the county. Existing law requires that a public defender of the county serve at the board of supervisors’ will if the public defender is to be appointed.</html:p>
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				This bill would instead only allow the board of supervisors to
			 remove an appointed public defender from office by a 
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				 vote for neglect of duty, malfeasance or misconduct in office, or other good cause.
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			<html:p>The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.</html:p>
			<html:p>This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.</html:p>
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		<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
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			<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
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				Section 27703 of the 
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				 is amended to read:
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								(a)
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								If the public defender of a county is to be appointed, they shall be appointed by the board of supervisors. The public defender of two or more counties shall be appointed by the boards of supervisors of those counties.
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								(b)
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								A public defender appointed pursuant to subdivision (a) may be removed from office by the board of supervisors by a three-fifths vote for neglect of duty, malfeasance or misconduct in office, or other good cause.
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								(c)
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								It is the intent of the Legislature that this section shall not be construed to exempt a public defender from a county’s established
						performance evaluation process for appointed department heads.
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				<html:p>If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.</html:p>
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Last Version Text Digest Existing law authorizes the board of supervisors of a county to establish the office of public defender for the county. Existing law requires that a public defender of the county serve at the board of supervisors’ will if the public defender is to be appointed. This bill would instead only allow the board of supervisors to remove an appointed public defender from office by a 3 5 vote for neglect of duty, malfeasance or misconduct in office, or other good cause.