BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  AB 971
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 15, 2013

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                    AB 971 (Garcia) - As Amended:  April 18, 2013 

          Policy Committee:                              Labor and  
          Employment   Vote:                            7-0
                        Public Safety                         7-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          Yes    Reimbursable:              Yes

           SUMMARY 

          This bill authorizes specified criminal history be provided to  
          paratransit agencies for the purpose of overseeing and enforcing  
          the agency's policies, as specified.  

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Negligible new costs to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for  
          additional background checks since the background checks  
          authorized in this bill are already being conducted by some  
          paratransit agencies.

          Background checks are generally supported by fees charged to the  
          requesting entity, in this case a paratransit agency. The fee is  
          generally $32 per background check, plus a fee for fingerprint  
          rolling that can be as high as $65. The rolling fee would  
          presumably be passed on to employees of the agencies.  

           COMMENTS  

           Purpose  .  Existing law deems an entity formed by a regional  
          transportation planning authority as a non-profit benefit  
          corporation charged with administering a countywide coordinated  
          paratransit plan adopted under federal law as a public agency.  

          This bill is sponsored by ACSESS Services, which provides  
          paratransit services for individuals with disabilities in Los  
          Angeles County.  ACSESS Services and its contractors currently  
          require background checks its drivers.  The agency, however,  
          feels the law is ambiguous its authority to conduct these  








                                                                  AB 971
                                                                  Page  2

          checks.  Specifically, ACSESS Services states: "Current law  
          limits by time and type the information that can be requested of  
          applicants for employment. However it creates exceptions to  
          these rules where health and safety are of primary concern or  
          the person will be working with particularly vulnerable  
          individuals in connection with the employment. Since [we]  
          facilitate complementary ADA paratransit services in Los Angeles  
          County for persons with disabilities, it is imperative that the  
          agency unambiguously have the right to conduct background checks  
          on its drivers."



           Analysis Prepared by  :    Kimberly Rodriguez / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081