City Council

(42) 23­1189 BUDGET, FINANCE AND INNOVATION, CIVIL RIGHTS, EQUITY, IMMIGRATION, AGING AND DISABILITY and TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEES’ REPORTS relative to a review of transportation related fines and fees levied by the City and exploring alternatives to fixed fine and fee amounts. A. BUDGET, FINANCE AND INNOVATION COMMITTEE REPORT Recommendations for Council action, as initiated by (Soto­Martinez, Harris­Dawson, Hutt ­ Lee): 1. CONCUR with the actions taken by the Civil Rights, Equity, Friday - April 26, 2024 - PAGE 42 Immigration, Aging and Disability Committee on November 3, IMMIGRATION, AGING AND DISABILITY and TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEES’ REPORTS relative to a review of transportation related fines and fees levied by the City and exploring alternatives to fixed fine and fee amounts. A. BUDGET, FINANCE AND INNOVATION COMMITTEE REPORT Recommendations for Council action, as initiated by (Soto­Martinez, Harris­Dawson, Hutt ­ Lee): 1. CONCUR with the actions taken by the Civil Rights, Equity, Immigration, Aging and Disability Committee on November 3, 2023 and the Transportation Committee on December 6, 2023, attached to Council file No. 23­1189. 2. DIRECT the Community Investment for Families Department (CIFD), with support from the Chief Legislative Analyst (CLA), City Administrative Officer (CAO), and Office of Finance, to report to the Council on the following: a. An overview of non­transportation related fines and fees levied by the City, including: i. The purpose of each fine or fee. ii. The City Departments in charge of administration and enforcement of each fine or fee. iii. Total revenue collected annually from each fine or fee. iv. Amounts of each fine or fee collected late or never received. v. The administrative cost of managing each fine or fee. vi. A demographic analysis of the recipients of these fines and fees. b. An analysis of which fines or fees could be replaced with alternative methods for achieving intended policy outcomes and recommendations for those alternatives. c. Recommendations for adjusting fines and fees based on individuals’ ability to pay, or for low barrier non­monetary alternatives to payment. d. An analysis of the services and salaries impacted as a Friday - April 26,of2024 result fines- and fees being reduced PAGE 43 or replaced with alternative methods. b. An analysis of which fines or fees could be replaced with alternative methods for achieving intended policy outcomes and recommendations for those alternatives. c. Recommendations for adjusting fines and fees based on individuals’ ability to pay, or for low barrier non­monetary alternatives to payment. d. An analysis of the services and salaries impacted as a result of fines and fees being reduced or replaced with alternative methods. 3. DIRECT the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT), in consultation with the CLA, Controller, CAO and other relevant City departments, to report to the Council on the following: a. An overview of transportation related fines and fees levied by the City, including: i. The purpose of each fine or fee. ii. The City Departments in charge of administration and enforcement of each fine or fee. iii. Total revenue collected annually from each fine or fee. iv. Amounts of each fine or fee collected late or never received. v. The administrative cost of managing each fine or fee. vi. A demographic analysis of the recipients of these fines and fees. b. An analysis of which fines or fees could be replaced with alternative methods for achieving intended policy outcomes and recommendations for those alternatives. c. Recommendations for adjusting fines and fees based on individuals’ ability to pay, or for low barrier non­monetary alternatives to payment. d. An analysis of the services and salaries impacted as a result of fines and fees being reduced or replaced with alternative methods. Friday - April 26, 2024 - PAGE 44 c. Recommendations for adjusting fines and fees based on individuals’ ability to pay, or for low barrier non­monetary alternatives to payment. d. An analysis of the services and salaries impacted as a result of fines and fees being reduced or replaced with alternative methods. B. CIVIL RIGHTS, EQUITY, IMMIGRATION, AGING AND DISABILITY and TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEES’ REPORT Recommendations for Council action, as initiated by Motion (Soto­ Martinez, Harris­Dawson, Hutt ­ Lee): 1. DIRECT the CIFD, with support from the CLA, CAO, and Office of Finance, to report to the Council on the following: ​ a. An overview of non­transportation related fines and fees levied by the City, including: i. The purpose of each fine or fee. ii. The City Departments in charge of administration and enforcement of each fine or fee. iii. Total revenue collected annually from each fine or fee. iv. Amounts of each fine or fee collected late or never received. v. The administrative cost of managing each fine or fee. vi. A demographic analysis of the recipients of these fines and fees. b. An analysis of which fines or fees could be replaced with alternative methods for achieving intended policy outcomes and recommendations for those alternatives. c. Recommendations for adjusting fines and fees based on individuals’ ability to pay, or for low barrier non­monetary alternatives to payment. Friday - April 26, 2024 - PAGE 45 vi. A demographic analysis of the recipients of these fines and fees. b. An analysis of which fines or fees could be replaced with alternative methods for achieving intended policy outcomes and recommendations for those alternatives. c. Recommendations for adjusting fines and fees based on individuals’ ability to pay, or for low barrier non­monetary alternatives to payment. 2. DIRECT the LADOT, in consultation with the CLA, Controller, CAO and other relevant City departments, to report to the Council on the following: a. An overview of transportation related fines and fees levied by the City, including: i. The purpose of each fine or fee. ii. The City Departments in charge of administration and enforcement of each fine or fee. iii. Total revenue collected annually from each fine or fee. iv. Amounts of each fine or fee collected late or never received. v. The administrative cost of managing each fine or fee. vi. A demographic analysis of the recipients of these fines and fees. b. An analysis of which fines or fees could be replaced with alternative methods for achieving intended policy outcomes and recommendations for those alternatives. c. Recommendations for adjusting fines and fees based on individuals’ ability to pay, or for low barrier non­monetary alternatives to payment. 3. DIRECT the LADOT and any relevant City departments to explore what other local and state governments, such as San Francisco and Michigan, are implementing to offer alternative models to fines, fees and penalties and report to the Council Friday - April 26, 2024 - PAGE 46 with a list of policy recommendations. c. Recommendations for adjusting fines and fees based on individuals’ ability to pay, or for low barrier non­monetary alternatives to payment. 3. DIRECT the LADOT and any relevant City departments to explore what other local and state governments, such as San Francisco and Michigan, are implementing to offer alternative models to fines, fees and penalties and report to the Council with a list of policy recommendations. 4. DIRECT the CIFD, with support from the LADOT, CLA, and other departments as necessary, to report to the Council on the feasibility of creating a Fines and Fees Task Force, composed of staff from City departments and community organizations to assess the impacts of fines and fees on community members and City revenue and to make recommendations for improvements. 5. INSTRUCT the CLA, with support from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority and with requested input from the City Attorney, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office, as well as legal aid organizations and homeless service providers, to report to the Council in 120 days on all City departments with the authority to issue monetary citations and the most frequent non­felony citations and fees incurred by people experiencing homelessness (PEH). 6. INSTRUCT the CLA, with requested input from the City Attorney, to report to the Council within 120 days on the Council’s statutory authority to reduce or eliminate monetary fees for citations issued to PEH, as well as the ability to retroactively rescind or expunge any fees. Fiscal Impact Statement: Neither the CAO nor the CLA has completed a financial analysis of this report.