Sen. Fran Pavley

In a final unanimous vote, California lawmakers Friday approved and sent to the governor an important public safety bill authored by Senator Fran Pavley.

Senate Bill 507, sponsored by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, grants criminal prosecutors an opportunity to keep sexually violent predators out of communities.

The proposal, if signed into law, provides prosecutors with the same access as defense lawyers to state hospital records of sexually violent predators during commitment reviews.

“SB 507 is narrowly crafted to only allow release of records that are pertinent to sexually violent predator cases,” said Pavley of Agoura Hills. “The bill is needed to avoid the release of dangerous offenders, who are likely to engage in more violent offenses.”

During the last four years, 43 sexual offenders were released to Los Angeles County and their cases dismissed, mainly because prosecutors were not privy to all pertinent medical information about the mental condition of offenders, prosecutors contend. For that reason, Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey backs SB 507, arguing that it “plugs a loophole in the law…that currently presents “a grave risk to public safety.”

Pavley’s measure would give more direction to California judges, who now interpret the law in a variety of ways.

The bill is supported by a number of local and statewide law enforcement organizations.

California, they argue, should being its law into line with those of 20 other states and the federal government that allow involuntary civil commitments of sexually violent predators. California, they note, is the only jurisdiction that does not expressly grant equal access to records to prosecutors.

The governor has 30 days to sign or veto SB 507 or allow it to become law without his signature.