California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that Assembly Bill 3042 (AB 3042) has been signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom. The bill, authored by Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen (D – Elk Grove), extends the sunset date on Proposition 69, also known as the “DNA Fingerprint, Unsolved Crime and Innocence Protection Act.” This extension will allow the Department of Justice (DOJ) to continue providing essential forensic DNA services with funding from criminal fines.
“I am very proud of the important work that is done in our Bureau of Forensic Services and will continue to be done thanks to this new law,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “The Bureau receives crucial funding through Proposition 69, and AB 3024 will ensure that Proposition 69 remains in place to support our efforts to solve crime through forensic services. I want to thank Assemblymember Nguyen, our legislative partners and Governor Newsom for their work toward this important goal.”
Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen expressed her commitment to public safety: “I would never feel safe knowing someone who has harmed me or my loved ones are still out there. I am proud to author AB 3042 in collaboration with Attorney General Bonta to continue key funding to better support public safety in our communities as well as exonerating the innocent.”
Proposition 69 was approved by voters in November 2004. It directs money from criminal fines towards funding the CAL-DNA Data Bank program, which helps solve violent crimes using the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). The proposition also assists with identifying missing and unidentified persons, including abducted children, using separate Missing Person CODIS databases. Over two decades, DOJ has received more than $74 million through Prop. 69.
However, Proposition 69 included a sunset date that would terminate funding collection after twenty years. AB 3042 extends this sunset date to establish a steady source of revenue outside of the General Fund for supporting DNA testing programs at both state and local levels.
AB 3042 received support from several organizations including California Association of Crime Laboratory Directors, California District Attorneys Association, California State Sheriffs' Association, Kern County Board of Supervisors, Los Angeles Board of Supervisors, Los Angeles County Professional Peace Officers Association, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and San Diego County Sheriff's Department.