Serious felonies: furnishing fentanyl to a minor.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide specific details about the penalties or how it affects plea bargaining beyond what is already covered by existing laws.

Making it a Serious Crime to Give Fentanyl to Minors

The bill makes knowingly giving fentanyl to minors a serious felony, which means stricter punishments under laws like the three strikes law.

What This Bill Does

• Defines knowingly furnishing fentanyl to a minor as a serious felony.
• Adds this crime to the list of offenses covered by the three strikes law.

Who It Names or Affects

• People who give fentanyl to minors
• Law enforcement agencies dealing with drug crimes involving minors

Terms To Know

Serious felony

A crime that leads to more severe punishments, especially for repeat offenders.

Three strikes law

A legal rule that gives longer prison sentences to people who have been convicted of serious crimes before.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify the exact penalties beyond adding this crime to existing laws.
• It is unclear how this will affect plea bargaining in other related cases.

Official Summary Text

SB 432, as amended, Seyarto.
Serious felonies: furnishing fentanyl to a minor.
Existing law, as added by the Victims’ Bill of Rights, approved as Proposition 8 at the June 8, 1982, statewide primary election, and as amended by the Gang Violence and Juvenile Crime Prevention Act of 1998, approved as Proposition 21 at the March 7, 2000, statewide primary election, among other things, defines a serious felony.
Existing law, as added by Proposition 184, approved at the November 8, 1994, statewide general election, and amended by the Three Strikes Reform Act of 2012, approved as Proposition 36 at the November 6, 2012, statewide general election, commonly known as the three strikes law, imposes additional years of imprisonment in the state prison on a person who commits a serious felony and has been convicted of, or who has a prior conviction for, a serious felony. Existing law includes furnishing specified controlled substances to a minor as a
serious felony for these purposes. The Legislature may directly amend these initiatives by a statute passed in each house by a
2
3
vote, or by a statute that becomes effective only when approved by the voters.
Existing law prohibits plea bargaining in a case in which a serious felony is charged and imposes a 5-year enhancement for conviction of a serious felony if the person has previously been convicted of a serious felony.
This bill would include
knowingly
furnishing fentanyl to a minor within the definition of a serious
felony, including for purposes of the three strikes law.
felony.
By expanding the scope of an enhancement, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
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.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF