BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 597|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 597
Author: Liu (D)
Amended: 5/12/09
Vote: 21
SENATE HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE : 3-0, 4/14/09
AYES: Liu, Alquist, Yee
NO VOTE RECORDED: Maldonado, Runner
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 8-0, 5/28/09
AYES: Kehoe, Cox, Corbett, DeSaulnier, Hancock, Leno,
Oropeza, Yee
NO VOTE RECORDED: Denham, Runner, Walters, Wolk, Wyland
SUBJECT : Child welfare services, foster care services
and adoption
assistance
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill makes changes in state law relative to
child welfare services to conform to Public Law 110-351,
the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing
Adoptions Act of 2008.
ANALYSIS : Existing law:
1.Establishes the Aid to Families with Dependent
Children-Foster Care program (AFDC-FC), under which
counties provide payments to foster care providers on
CONTINUED
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behalf of qualified children in foster care.
2.Requires counties to pay foster care providers a per
child per month rate in return for the care of
supervision of a child in the AFDC-FC program and defines
the term "care and supervision" for the purpose of these
payments.
3.Requires a case plan for each child in foster care and
prescribes the components of the case plan, which include
a summary of the health and education information or
records of the child.
4.Establishes a child welfare council, which is co-chaired
by the secretary of the Health and Human Services Agency
and the chief justice of the state Supreme Court.
5.Establishes the adoption assistance program, which, among
other requirements, requires the Department of Social
Services (DSS) and licensed adoption agencies to provide
designated information to prospective adoptive families.
6.Requires DSS to award a grant for a statewide child
welfare training program for child welfare personnel, to
provide funding for foster parent training programs in
community colleges, and to provide a basic foster parent
training program.
This bill:
1.Expands the definition of "care and supervision," costs
for reasonable travel for the child to remain in the
school in which he or she is enrolled at the time of
placement.
2.Requires DSS to develop a plan for the ongoing oversight
and coordination of health care services for a child in
foster care, and to do so in consultation with
pediatricians, health care experts, experts in and
recipients of child welfare services, and with the advice
of the state's child welfare council.
3.Requires DSS and licensed adoptive agencies to provide
information regarding the federal adoption tax credit to
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any individual adopting or considering adopting a child
in foster care.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2009-10 2010-11
2011-12 Fund
Additional DSS minor and
absorbable General
workload
SUPPORT : (Verified 5/28/09)
Academy of California Adoption Lawyers
American Federation of State, County and Municipal
Employees
Junior Leagues of California
State Bar of California, Family Law Section
CTW:nl 5/29/09 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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