BILL NUMBER: AB 2985	CHAPTERED  09/22/06

	CHAPTER  387
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE  SEPTEMBER 22, 2006
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR  SEPTEMBER 22, 2006
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY  AUGUST 24, 2006
	PASSED THE SENATE  AUGUST 21, 2006
	AMENDED IN SENATE  AUGUST 15, 2006
	AMENDED IN SENATE  JUNE 29, 2006
	AMENDED IN SENATE  JUNE 20, 2006
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 18, 2006

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Maze
   (Coauthor: Assembly Member Bass)

                        FEBRUARY 24, 2006

   An act to add Section 10618.6 to the Welfare and Institutions
Code, relating to identity theft.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2985, Maze  Foster youth: identity theft.
   Existing law requires the placement of dependent children by the
juvenile court according to specified procedures.  Existing law
requires the State Department of Social Services to administer every
phase of the administration of public social services, except as
specified. Existing law also requires the state, through the
department and county welfare departments, to establish and support a
system of statewide child welfare, which includes services related
to foster care placement of dependent children and adoption.
   This bill would require a county welfare department to request a
consumer disclosure, pursuant to federal law, on behalf of a youth in
a foster care placement in the county, when the youth reaches his or
her 16th birthday, in order to ascertain whether the youth has been
the victim of identity theft. If the consumer disclosure reveals any
negative items, or evidence that identity theft has occurred, the
bill would require the county welfare department to refer the youth
to an approved organization that provides services to victims of
identity theft. The bill would require the department to develop a
list of approved organizations for this purpose, in consultation with
the County Welfare Directors Association and others. By requiring
county welfare departments to perform new duties with respect to
children in foster care placement, 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.
   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.


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


  SECTION 1.   Section 10618.6 is added to the Welfare and
Institutions Code, to read:
   10618.6.  When a youth in a foster care placement reaches his or
her 16th birthday, the county welfare department shall request a
consumer disclosure, pursuant to the free annual disclosure provision
of the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, on the youth's behalf,
notwithstanding any other provision of law, to ascertain whether or
not identity theft has occurred. If there is a disclosure for the
youth and if the consumer disclosure reveals any negative items, or
any evidence that some form of identity theft has occurred, the
county welfare department shall refer the youth to an approved
counseling organization that provides services to victims of identity
theft. The State Department of Social Services, in consultation with
the County Welfare Directors Association, consumer credit reporting
agencies, and other relevant stakeholders, shall develop a list of
approved organizations to which youth may be referred for assistance
in responding to an instance of suspected identity theft. Nothing in
this section shall be construed to require the county welfare
department to request more than one consumer disclosure on behalf of
a youth in care, or to take steps beyond referring the youth to an
approved organization.
  SEC. 2.   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.