Statement of Commissioner Lara on passage of SB 334 by the California Assembly Insurance Committee

News: 2021 Press Release

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara released the following statement after the California Assembly Insurance Committee approved SB 334, the Private Detention Accountability Act, with a bipartisan 12-1 vote today:

“These for-profit private prisons and detention facilities have a long and well-documented history of violating immigrants’ human rights, turning a blind eye to their physical and mental health. Raising insurance standards will help hold these operators accountable by creating clear consequences if they fail to protect refugees and asylum seekers.”

“I want to sincerely thank Chair Tom Daly and his committee staff for closely working with us on this measure up to today’s vote on SB 334, which ensures that basic health, safety, and human rights are afforded to our most vulnerable populations detained in our state.”

SB 334, authored by California Latino Legislative Caucus Chair María Elena Durazo and co-sponsored by Commissioner Lara, offers a critical piece to the needed regulatory oversight of these for-profit, private prisons and detention facilities by expressly mandating these prisons and facilities meet health, safety, welfare, and labor standards and maintain appropriate insurance coverages for liability and workers’ compensation obtained in the admitted market in order to protect detained persons and working personnel. These same standards are currently followed by California’s own state and local publicly-managed prisons, local jails, and detention facilities today.

The bill is also co-sponsored by the California Immigrant Policy Center and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA). 

SB 334 goes next to the Assembly Public Safety Committee for consideration.

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