SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Juan Alanis (R–Modesto) announced today that Assembly Bill 2004 (AB 2004) passed the California State Assembly on a unanimous bipartisan 60-0 vote.
AB 2004 would authorize Fresno and San Joaquin Counties to designate correctional deputy sheriffs as peace officers, aligning them with 39 other counties where officers performing the same duties already receive that designation.
“Correctional officers work in one of the most challenging and unpredictable environments in public safety,” said Assemblymember Alanis. “This bill ensures that officers in Fresno and San Joaquin Counties are recognized consistently with their peers across the state who perform the same duties under the same conditions.”
Correctional deputy sheriffs are responsible for maintaining order inside county jails, supervising incarcerated individuals, responding to violent incidents, and managing emergencies in secure facilities. Despite performing identical work to officers in other counties, those in Fresno and San Joaquin Counties are not currently afforded the same statutory recognition.
AB 2004 does not impose a mandate on counties. Instead, it provides local flexibility by allowing these counties, in coordination with sheriffs and employee groups, to extend peace officer designation where appropriate.
The bill also reflects the real-world risks correctional officers face. The case of Fresno County Correctional Officer Toamalama Scanlan underscores the stakes. After being critically injured in a shooting inside the Fresno County Jail in 2016, he later died from his injuries in 2021. Due to his classification at the time, he was not eligible for recognition on the California Peace Officers’ Memorial.
“I am grateful for the overwhelming support from my colleagues,” Alanis added. “Public safety policy should reflect the reality of the job. This is about fairness, consistency, and ensuring that those who serve in these roles are properly recognized.”
AB 2004 now heads to the Senate, where it will be considered in the coming months.
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Assemblymember Juan Alanis represents the 22nd Assembly District, which includes the communities of Modesto, Turlock, Ceres, Denair, Patterson, Gustine, Newman, Hilmar, Ballico, Snelling, Keyes, Grayson, Crows Landing, Diablo Grande, Stevinson, & Empire.
