BILL NUMBER: SB 646	CHAPTERED  09/18/02

	CHAPTER  669
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE  SEPTEMBER 18, 2002
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR  SEPTEMBER 17, 2002
	PASSED THE SENATE  AUGUST 31, 2002
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY  AUGUST 30, 2002
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  AUGUST 28, 2002
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  SEPTEMBER 6, 2001
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  JULY 17, 2001
	AMENDED IN SENATE  JUNE 4, 2001
	AMENDED IN SENATE  MAY 2, 2001

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Ortiz
   (Coauthor:  Assembly Member Aroner)

                        FEBRUARY 22, 2001

   An act to amend Section 1522.02 of the Health and Safety Code,
relating to care facilities.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 646, Ortiz.  Child care employee registry:  pilot program.
   Existing law authorizes the State Department of Social Services to
adopt regulations to create substitute care facility employee
registries for persons working at more than one facility licensed by
the department, in order to permit these registries to submit
fingerprint cards and child abuse index information for child care
registries.
   This bill would additionally authorize the department to operate a
substitute child care employee registry pilot program for the above
purposes, and to charge an administrative fee to participating
registry facilities.  The bill would specify the conditions under
which the pilot program could be operated, including, among other
things, limiting the pilot program to screening employees for
facilities licensed as child care facilities.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  (a) (1) The State Department of Social Services has
established a pilot project to oversee the operation of child care
registries pursuant to Section 1522.02 of the Health and Safety Code.
  This project has operated successfully for over two years,
supplying child care providers and child care centers with access to
prescreened, qualified employees on short notice, and for limited
periods of time.  The pilot project currently operates in the
Counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Monterey, San Benito, San
Francisco, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz,
San Mateo, and Ventura.
   (2) The service provided by child care registries has been shown
to be invaluable to child care providers that use the registries, and
allows child care workers who are seeking temporary employment to
participate in the workforce.
   (b) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this act to
allow for the continuation of the department's successful substitute
employee pilot project by doing both of the following:
   (1) Authorizing the department to charge registry providers an
offsetting administrative fee.
   (2) Limiting the scope of the activities the department is
required to administer by shifting responsibility for those
activities to child care providers who utilize registries.
  SEC. 2.  Section 1522.02 of the Health and Safety Code is amended
to read:
   1522.02.  (a) The department may adopt regulations to create
substitute employee registries for persons working at more than one
facility licensed pursuant to this chapter, Chapter 3.01 (commencing
with Section 1568.01), Chapter 3.2 (commencing with Section 1569),
Chapter 3.4 (commencing with Section 1569.70), Chapter 3.5
(commencing with Section 1596.90), or Chapter 3.6 (commencing with
Section 1597.30), in order to permit these registries to submit
fingerprint cards, and child abuse index information for child care
registries so that these facilities have available cleared care
staff.
   (b) The department may operate a substitute child care employee
registry pilot program for the purposes of subdivision (a) and may
charge participating registry facilities an administrative fee.  The
pilot program is subject to all of the following:
   (1) The pilot program shall be limited to screening employees for
facilities licensed as child care facilities.
   (2) Registries shall not hire any child care worker for employment
at a child care facility who requires an exemption from the criminal
background clearance requirements of law.
   (3) The department shall only guarantee the authenticity of
criminal background and child abuse index information that registries
provide to child care facilities.  Any other information provided by
registries may be verified by child care facility operators.
   (4) The department may limit the operation of the pilot program to
the Counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Monterey, San Benito, San
Francisco, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz,
San Mateo, and Ventura.