Senate Public Safety Committee

7 April 2026

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Senate Public Safety Committee Di., 7. Apr. 2026 California State Senate

00:15 - 01:15

Redner 1

Good morning. I'd like to call to order this meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Public Safety for Tuesday, 04/07/2026. We do not yet have a quorum, but we will operate as a subcommittee. Just a few announcements before we start today's hearing. In terms of the public comment procedure, on each bill, we'll take two principal witnesses in support of the bill and two principal witnesses in opposition of the bill.

Then we invite any members of the public who wish to express their support or opposition to come forward to the microphone. Your testimony will be limited to just state your name, your organization, or your city that you're from and whether you support or oppose the bill. But we are very grateful that you're here today for today's hearing. And with that, we'll begin with our first bill, which is filed in one SB nine zero seven by Senator Archuleta. Good morning, Senator.

And whenever you're ready, Senator, you may begin your presentation, okay?

01:23 - 05:20

Redner 2

Well, good morning, committee members and chair, and, thank you for having us, first up bright and early this morning. And, again, I'd like to thank the chair, and I'm here today to present senate bill nine zero seven, which will implement five necessary fixes to California's DUI laws. I want to begin by thanking the chair for working with me and my office, and I accept the committee's amendments. I accept the committee's amendments to remove the strike provision of senate bill nine zero seven. As many in the room know, my eldest granddaughter, Samantha, life was taken by a drunk driver during the 2024 Christmas holiday season.

At just 30 years of age, she was just had just received her master's degree in social work and was ready to save the world and one child at a time. That was her calling, but she's no longer with us. I'm here to say today, and I'm honored to present senate bill nine zero seven to honor her, her friends, our families, your families, everyone's family, because across California, we have lost so many loved ones. This can happen to anyone, anyone at any time. Senate Bill nine zero seven will finally strengthen California's DUI enforcement and sentencing laws, particularly for repeat offenders.

The first provision, bronze law, will ensure Watson warnings are read to all offenders who plead down from a drunk driving charge. The Watson warnings currently are generally not read in cases where a DUI is pleaded down to another charge. Bronze's mother, Jennifer, is here today with me to testify on how this entire situation has impacted her family with the loss of her son. Second, Coyla and Anna's law will allow judicial discretion in consecutive sentencing instances where a drunk driver kills multiple people in a single crash. When someone kills multiple people in one crash while drunk, that needs to be considered in sentencing.

One of my district attorney I'm sorry. One of my district representatives actually lost five members of his family who was killed. And I asked my staff, my chief of staff, where's Fred today? He wasn't here. He was on his way to Arizona to meet with the rest of his family because all five of them were killed in one crash.

Five. He's still trying to recover today. Third, senate bill nine zero seven goes after repeat serial offenders with enhancements for prior felony DUI convictions. So in California, typically a person only receives a felony DUI upon their fourth violation. Fourth violation in ten years.

Adding additional enhancement for repeat felony offenders and offenses will keep serial offenders off our streets. Fourth, Senate Bill nine zero seven also targets repeat offenders by increasing punishment for hit and runs if the driver has a prior recent DUI conviction. Repeat offenders are able to take advantage of our laws surrounding hit and runs and they understand that they can't benefit from running away and staying away from being tested. If they are impaired or drunk and they can hide and stay away, guess what? The testing will have to be done as soon as they're caught.

05:21 - 06:14

Redner 6

If that case, the accused drunk driver can delay the arrest and it's likely that he will not be able to be charged with a DUI. And lastly, Senate Bill nine zero seven adds gross vehicular manslaughter and vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated to the violent felony list. Per the amendments agreed upon with the committee, senate bill nine zero seven will not include the strike under California's three strike laws, and I understand that. While California does not currently consider these offenses to be violent felonies, it does consider great bodily injury caused by a drunk driver to be a violent felony. Because of this discretionary discrepancy, someone who kills another person with their car while intoxicated may serve less time than if the victim survived.

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