BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  AB 1701
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 7, 2014

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                  AB 1701 (Patterson) - As Amended:  April 23, 2014 

          Policy Committee:                              JudiciaryVote:9 -  
          0

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

           SUMMARY  

          This is the Academy of California Adoption Lawyers' (ACAL)  
          annual adoption bill. It clarifies existing statutory law and  
          adoption consent procedures, codifies existing case law, and  
          simplifies existing local procedures for filing of cases.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Although keyed a reimbursable mandate, there are negligible  
          fiscal impacts to the courts.

           COMMENTS  

           Purpose  . The author states when statutory language is vague or  
          confusing, or when local courts apply different interpretations  
          of the law, this can and does result in unequal treatment for  
          similarly situated adoptive families. The changes in this bill  
          are intended to resolve technical issues and other more  
          substantive issues in order to streamline adoption procedures.  
          There is no opposition to these changes.


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Jennifer Swenson / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081