BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2417
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Date of Hearing: April 20, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Lorena Gonzalez, Chair
AB
2417 (Cooley) - As Amended March 15, 2016
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill prohibits the Department of Justice (DOJ) from
charging the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program for
specific background checks on CASA employees and volunteers.
AB 2417
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FISCAL EFFECT:
DOJ revenue loss in the $100,000 range (Fingerprint Fees
Account). During 2015, there were 3,244 submissions for
background checks that would have been exempt from the $32 fee.
COMMENTS:
Background/Purpose. Current law requires the Judicial Council
to establish guidelines for CASA programs, as specified. It
also authorizes CASA programs to request fingerprint background
checks. DOJ is authorized to charge fees sufficient to cover
the cost of conducting fingerprint background checks. However,
under current law, DOJ is prohibited from charging a fee for
fingerprint background checks for volunteers at child care
facilities who are required to be fingerprinted if funding is
provided in the Budget Act. Also, current law requires
background checks for child mentors in the foster care system
and prohibits DOJ from charging fees for the background checks.
California has a network of 44 local CASA programs that provide
volunteers to serve as one-on-one mentors to abused and
neglected children who are dependents or wards of the court.
AB 2417 includes CASAs in an existing fee exemption for
Department of Justice (DOJ) criminal history background checks
which are vital to protecting these vulnerable children
AB 2417
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Analysis Prepared by:Pedro Reyes / APPR. / (916)
319-2081