BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 458
                                                                  Page  1

          CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
          AB 458 (Chu)
          As Amended  July 15, 2003
          Majority vote
           
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          |ASSEMBLY:  |46-31|(May 12, 2003)  |SENATE: |23-11|(July 24,      |
          |           |     |                |        |     |2003)          |
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           Original Committee Reference:    HUM. S.  

           SUMMARY  :  Seeks to ensure that foster children and others in the  
          foster care community are not subjected to discrimination or  
          harassment on the basis of actual or perceived race, ethnic  
          group identification, ancestry, national origin, color,  
          religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, mental or  
          physical disability, or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)  
          status. 

           The Senate amendments  clarify that nothing in this measure shall  
          be interpreted to create or modify existing preferences for  
          foster placements or to limit the agency's ability to make  
          placement decisions for a child based on the child's best  
          interests and make other technical changes.

           EXISTING LAW  :

          1)Establishes the Foster Youth Bill of Rights.

          2)Requires all states, in order to be eligible to receive  
            federal foster care monies, to establish standards for foster  
            family homes, including standards for safety, sanitation, and  
            protection of civil rights.

           AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY  , this bill:

          1)Found and declared that foster children are harmed by  
            discrimination and it includes within the Foster Youth Bill of  
            Rights the right to have fair and equal access to all  
            available services, placement, care, treatment, and benefits,  
            and to not be subjected to discrimination or harassment on the  
            basis of actual or perceived race, ethnic group  
            identification, ancestry, national origin, color, mental or  
            physical disability, or HIV status.








                                                                  AB 458
                                                                  Page  2


          2)Included training on the rights of foster children enumerated  
            above within the existing trainings required for licensed  
            foster parents, both pre-placement and post-placement of a  
            foster child, relative caregivers, group home administrators,  
            licensing personnel in group homes and foster family agencies.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  According to the Assembly Appropriations  
          Committee, minor absorbable workload costs to update foster  
          youth education and foster parent training materials.

           COMMENTS  :  Last year AB 2651 (Chu), a similar bill, was vetoed  
          by the Governor.  This year AB 458 has been amended to address  
          the Governor's concerns.
           

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Caitlin O'Halloran / HUM. S. / (916)  
          319-2089                                               FN:  
          0002392