News Update

Proposed state law would ban homeless camps near schools

A state lawmaker has introduced a bill that would ban homeless encampments within 500 feet of schools, daycare centers, parks, and libraries, the Sacramento Bee reported.

“This bill is all about keeping our public spaces safe for the most vulnerable people in our community, which is our kids,” Assembly Member Josh Hoover, R-Folsom, told The Bee. “It’s critical that we make sure all our kids feel safe walking to school.”

Hoover said that near his home in Folsom, he’s found needles and other drug paraphernalia where his three kids play. “The goal of this bill is to make sure our public spaces are safe and usable. It is simply one part of a larger issue.”

The cities of Sacramento and Los Angeles have passed similar local measures to prohibit encampments near schools.

Assemblyman Heath Flora, R-Modesto, co-sponsored Hoover’s bill. ‘“Our constituents are begging us to do something about this,” Flora told the Bee.


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