Bill > AB15

This bill creates the California Homicide Victims' Families' Rights Act, which establishes a process for families of murder victims to request a review of unsolved murder cases. Specifically, the bill allows a designated person (such as an immediate family member or their legal representative) to submit a written application to a law enforcement agency for a review of an open unsolved murder that occurred after January 1, 1990, and at least three years prior to the application. The law enforcement agency must review the case file to determine if a reinvestigation could produce new investigative leads, and if so, conduct a reinvestigation. The bill mandates that the review process include analyzing previous investigative steps, assessing potential witness interviews, examining physical evidence, and updating the case file to current investigative standards. The agency must provide periodic updates to the applicant and decide within 120 days (with a possible 60-day extension) whether to proceed with a reinvestigation. The bill also stipulates that only one review and one reinvestigation can be undertaken at a time for a specific case, and if no new suspect is identified, no further review can occur for five years unless significant new evidence emerges. Because the bill imposes new duties on local law enforcement, it includes a provision for state reimbursement of mandated costs.

Budget and Finance, Justice

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB15