California Assemblyman Josh Hoover (R-Folsom) is calling on state legislators to ban homeless encampments from within 500 feet of schools, daycare centers, parks, and libraries.
While some cities have been implementing such rules locally in recent years, Assembly Bill 257 would make the ban statewide.
Hoover introduced the bill Jan. 23, saying in a statement that it will help ensure students are safe and don’t encounter danger as they walk to school.
“As our local communities work toward mental health and housing solutions on homelessness, it is critical that the Legislature act to ensure our most sensitive public spaces are kept safe,” he said in a statement issued the same day. “No parent should be afraid to let their kids walk to school or worry about finding needles in the park where their children play, but that is the current experience for far too many families across our state. This legislation would change that.”…