BILL NUMBER: AB 44 CHAPTERED 03/05/04 CHAPTER 20 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE MARCH 5, 2004 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR MARCH 4, 2004 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY FEBRUARY 12, 2004 PASSED THE SENATE FEBRUARY 9, 2004 AMENDED IN SENATE JANUARY 26, 2004 AMENDED IN SENATE SEPTEMBER 8, 2003 AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 3, 2003 AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 12, 2003 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY FEBRUARY 6, 2003 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Pacheco DECEMBER 2, 2002 An act to amend Section 2625 of the Penal Code, and Section 294 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to dependent children, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 44, Pacheco. Dependent children: juvenile court hearings. Existing law provides for the notification of various parties regarding juvenile court proceedings to determine, review, revise, or terminate the status of a child as a dependent child of the court. Chapter 416 of the Statutes of 2002, operative January 1, 2003, revised and recast those notice provisions. Chapter 918 of the Statutes of 2002, operative January 1, 2003, did not incorporate those revisions. This bill would incorporate and reference the revisions in the notice provisions that are contained in Chapter 416 of the Statutes of 2002. The bill would further recast related service of notice provisions to require service of notice at least 30 days, rather than 45 days, before the date of a hearing in cases where publication is ordered. The bill would also permit notice of continuation of specified hearings by any means that the court determines are reasonably calculated to provide notice, or as specified. The bill would make other nonsubstantive, technical changes to these provisions. Because this bill would increase the duties of local social workers and probation officers, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement, including the creation of a State Mandates Claims Fund to pay the costs of mandates that do not exceed $1,000,000 statewide and other procedures for claims whose statewide costs exceed $1,000,000. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 2625 of the Penal Code is amended to read: 2625. (a) For the purposes of this section only, the term "prisoner" includes any individual in custody in a state prison, the California Rehabilitation Center, or a county jail, or who is a ward of the Department of the Youth Authority or who, upon a verdict or finding that the individual was insane at the time of committing an offense, or mentally incompetent to be tried or adjudged to punishment, is confined in a state hospital for the care and treatment of the mentally disordered or in any other public or private treatment facility. (b) In any proceeding brought under Part 4 (commencing with Section 7800) of Division 12 of the Family Code, and Section 366.26 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, where the proceeding seeks to terminate the parental rights of any prisoner, or any proceeding brought under Section 300 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, where the proceeding seeks to adjudicate the child of a prisoner a dependent child of the court, the superior court of the county in which the proceeding is pending, or a judge thereof, shall order notice of any court proceeding regarding the proceeding transmitted to the prisoner. (c) Service of notice shall be made pursuant to Section 7881 or 7882 of the Family Code or Section 290.2, 291, or 294 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, as appropriate. (d) Upon receipt by the court of a statement from the prisoner or his or her attorney indicating the prisoner's desire to be present during the court's proceedings, the court shall issue an order for the temporary removal of the prisoner from the institution, and for the prisoner's production before the court. No proceeding may be held under Part 4 (commencing with Section 7800) of Division 12 of the Family Code or Section 366.26 of the Welfare and Institutions Code and no petition to adjudge the child of a prisoner a dependent child of the court pursuant to subdivision (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (i), or (j) of Section 300 of the Welfare and Institutions Code may be adjudicated without the physical presence of the prisoner or the prisoner's attorney, unless the court has before it a knowing waiver of the right of physical presence signed by the prisoner or an affidavit signed by the warden, superintendent, or other person in charge of the institution, or his or her designated representative stating that the prisoner has, by express statement or action, indicated an intent not to appear at the proceeding. (e) In any other action or proceeding in which a prisoner's parental or marital rights are subject to adjudication, an order for the prisoner's temporary removal from the institution and for the prisoner's production before the court may be made by the superior court of the county in which the action or proceeding is pending, or by a judge thereof. A copy of the order shall be transmitted to the warden, superintendent, or other person in charge of the institution not less than 15 days before the order is to be executed. The order shall be executed by the sheriff of the county in which it shall be made, whose duty it shall be to bring the prisoner before the proper court, to keep the prisoner safely, and when the prisoner's presence is no longer required, to return the prisoner to the institution from which he or she was taken. The expense of executing the order shall be a proper charge against, and shall be paid by, the county in which the order shall be made. The order shall be to the following effect: County of ____ (as the case may be). The people of the State of California to the warden of ____: An order having been made this day by me, that (name of prisoner) be produced in this court as a party in the case of ____, you are commanded to deliver (name of prisoner) into the custody of ____ for the purpose of (recite purposes). Dated this ____ day of ____, 20__. (f) When a prisoner is removed from the institution pursuant to this section, the prisoner shall remain in the constructive custody of the warden, superintendent, or other person in charge of the institution. (g) Notwithstanding any other law, a court may not order the removal and production of a prisoner sentenced to death, whether or not that sentence is being appealed, in any action or proceeding in which the prisoner's parental rights are subject to adjudication. SEC. 2. Section 294 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read: 294. The social worker or probation officer shall give notice of a selection and implementation hearing held pursuant to Section 366.26 in the following manner: (a) Notice of the hearing shall be given to the following persons: (1) The mother. (2) The fathers, presumed and alleged. (3) The child, if the child is 10 years of age or older. (4) Any known sibling of the child who is the subject of the hearing if that sibling either is the subject of a dependency proceeding or has been adjudged to be a dependent child of the juvenile court. If the sibling is 10 years of age or older, the sibling, the sibling's caregiver, and the sibling's attorney. If the sibling is under 10 years of age, the sibling's caregiver and the sibling's attorney. However, notice is not required to be given to any sibling whose matter is calendared in the same court on the same day. (5) The grandparents of the child, if their address is known and if the parent's whereabouts are unknown. (6) All counsel of record. (7) If the court knows or has reason to know that an Indian child is involved, then to the Indian custodian and the tribe of that child. If the identity or location of the parent or Indian custodian and the tribe cannot be determined, notice shall be given to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. (b) The following persons shall not be notified of the hearing: (1) A parent who has relinquished the child to the State Department of Social Services or to a licensed adoption agency for adoption, and the relinquishment has been accepted and filed with notice as required under Section 8700 of the Family Code. (2) An alleged father who has denied paternity and has executed a waiver of the right to notice of further proceedings. (3) A parent whose parental rights have been terminated. (c) (1) Service of the notice shall be completed at least 45 days before the hearing date. Service is deemed complete at the time the notice is personally delivered to the person named in the notice or 10 days after the notice has been placed in the mail, or at the expiration of the time prescribed by the order for publication. (2) In the case of an Indian child, notice to the Indian custodian and the tribe shall be completed at least 10 days before the hearing. (3) In the case of an Indian child, if notice is given to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the bureau shall have 15 days after receipt to provide the requisite notice to the parent or Indian custodian and the tribe. (4) Service of notice in cases where publication is ordered shall be completed at least 30 days before the date of the hearing. (d) Regardless of the type of notice required, or the manner in which it is served, once the court has made the initial finding that notice has properly been given to the parent, or to any person entitled to receive notice pursuant to this section, subsequent notice for any continuation of a Section 366.26 hearing may be by first-class mail to any last known address, by an order made pursuant to Section 296, or by any other means that the court determines is reasonably calculated, under any circumstance, to provide notice of the continued hearing. However, if the recommendation changes from the recommendation contained in the notice previously found to be proper, notice shall be provided to the parent, and to any person entitled to receive notice pursuant to this section, regarding that subsequent hearing. (e) The notice shall contain the following information: (1) The date, time, and place of the hearing. (2) The right to appear. (3) The parents' right to counsel. (4) The nature of the proceedings. (5) The recommendation of the supervising agency. (6) A statement that, at the time of hearing, the court is required to select a permanent plan of adoption, legal guardianship, or long-term foster care for the child. (7) In the case of an Indian child, the notice shall contain a statement that the parent or Indian custodian and the tribe have a right to intervene at any point in the proceedings. The notice shall also include a statement that the parent or Indian custodian and the tribe shall, upon request, be granted up to 20 additional days to prepare for the proceedings. (f) Notice to the parents may be given in any one of the following manners: (1) If the parent is present at the hearing at which the court schedules a hearing pursuant to Section 366.26, the court shall advise the parent of the date, time, and place of the proceedings, their right to counsel, the nature of the proceedings, and the requirement that at the proceedings the court shall select and implement a plan of adoption, legal guardianship, or long-term foster care for the child. The court shall direct the parent to appear for the proceedings and then direct that the parent be notified thereafter by first-class mail to the parent's usual place of residence or business only. (2) Certified mail, return receipt requested, to the parent's last known mailing address. This notice shall be sufficient if the child welfare agency receives a return receipt signed by the parent. (3) Personal service to the parent named in the notice. (4) Delivery to a competent person who is at least 18 years of age at the parent's usual place of residence or business, and thereafter mailed to the parent named in the notice by first-class mail at the place where the notice was delivered. (5) If the residence of the parent is outside the state, service may be made as described in paragraph (1), (3), or (4) or by certified mail, return receipt requested. (6) If the recommendation of the probation officer or social worker is legal guardianship or long-term foster care, service may be made by first-class mail to the parent's usual place of residence or business. (7) If the parent's whereabouts are unknown and the parent cannot, with reasonable diligence, be served in any manner specified in paragraphs (1) to (6), inclusive, the petitioner shall file an affidavit with the court at least 75 days before the hearing date, stating the name of the parent and describing the efforts made to locate and serve the parent. (A) If the court determines that there has been due diligence in attempting to locate and serve the parent and the probation officer or social worker recommends adoption, service shall be to that parent' s attorney of record, if any, by certified mail, return receipt requested. If the parent does not have an attorney of record, the court shall order that service be made by publication of citation requiring the parent to appear at the date, time, and place stated in the citation, and that the citation be published in a newspaper designated as most likely to give notice to the parent. Publication shall be made once a week for four consecutive weeks. Whether notice is to the attorney of record or by publication, the court shall also order that notice be given to the grandparents of the child by first-class mail. (B) If the court determines that there has been due diligence in attempting to locate and serve the parent and the probation officer or social worker recommends legal guardianship or long-term foster care, no further notice is required to the parent, but the court shall order that notice be given to the grandparents of the child by first-class mail. (C) In any case where the residence of the parent becomes known, notice shall immediately be served upon the parent as provided for in either paragraph (2), (3), (4), (5), or (6). (8) If the identity of one or both of the parents, or alleged parents, of the child is unknown, or if the name of one or both parents is uncertain, then that fact shall be set forth in the affidavit and the court, if ordering publication, shall order the published citation to be directed to either the father or mother, or both, of the child, and to all persons claiming to be the father or mother of the child, naming and otherwise describing the child. (g) Notice to the child and all counsel of record shall be by first-class mail. (h) In the case of an Indian child, notice to the tribe shall be by registered mail, return receipt requested. (i) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), if the attorney of record is present at the time the court schedules a hearing pursuant to Section 366.26, no further notice is required, except as required by subparagraph (A) of paragraph (7) of subdivision (f). (j) This section shall also apply to children adjudged wards pursuant to Section 727.31. SEC. 3. Notwithstanding Section 17610 of the Government Code, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code. If the statewide cost of the claim for reimbursement does not exceed one million dollars ($1,000,000), reimbursement shall be made from the State Mandates Claims Fund. SEC. 4. This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are: Chapters 416 and 918 of the Statutes of 2002 amended the law governing notice in dependency proceedings. Those chapters failed to make conforming code reference changes. Without conforming legislation, the Welfare and Institutions Code contains conflicting notice provisions. This conflict will result in confusion among courts, attorneys, case workers, and those affected by dependency proceedings. That confusion could affect the rights of both children and their parents or guardians. Immediate action is necessary to eliminate this conflict.