BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 880|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 880
Author: Cohn (D)
Amended: 7/6/05 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE : 7-0, 6/14/05
AYES: Simitian, Maldonado, Aanestad, Alarcon, Alquist,
Chesbro, Florez
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 47-28, 5/19/05 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Dependent children
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill requires the Department of Social
Services, in conjunction with stakeholders, to (1) draft
guidelines outlining best practices in the use of advanced
technology to assist counties in identifying all relative
and nonrelative extended family members at the earliest
possible moment for the foster child, and (2) develop
funding estimates, as specified.
ANALYSIS : Current law establishes the criteria for
priorities associated with the removal of children from
their homes due to dependency, neglect or abuse. Current
law also orients decision making with respect to the
management and care of children in out-of-home placement to
CONTINUED
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seek family reunification whenever possible.
Current state law establishes the jurisdiction and policy
guidelines for the juvenile court in cases involving
children who may become dependent due to parental absence,
neglect or abuse. Further, current law establishes the
jurisdiction and programmatic responsibilities of the
Department of Social Services (DSS), as well as the
counties in identification and management of dependent
children. Current law also establishes the preferred
placement of children with relatives when reunification
with parents is not possible.
This bill creates a heightened priority for the placement
of children with family members once it is determined that
reunification with parents is not possible. It further
directs DSS to confer with a broad range of stakeholders to
create guidelines of "best practices" in the use of
advanced technology to find family members for children
awaiting placement.
This bill repeats the mandate that juvenile courts look
first to relatives of a child if the return of a dependent
child to his or her parents is not possible and placement
"is being considered."
The bill also directs DSS to confer with stakeholders in
order to create draft guidelines on "best practices" using
"advanced technology" and "family finding technologies."
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/16/05)
Kids in Common
National Organization for Women
California Youth Connection
Child Advocates of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties
Family Law Section of the State Bar of California
California Welfare Directors Association
California Alliance of Child and Family Services
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author's office,
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this bill "addresses the dilemma of finding permanent homes
for foster children at the earliest possible date." It is
intended to "strengthen the search process for locating
relatives which research shows is in the best possible
interests of the children and should save the state money."
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Arambula, Baca, Bass, Berg, Bermudez, Canciamilla,
Chan, Chavez, Chu, Cohn, Coto, De La Torre, Dymally,
Evans, Frommer, Goldberg, Hancock, Jerome Horton, Shirley
Horton, Jones, Karnette, Klehs, Koretz, Laird, Leno,
Levine, Lieber, Matthews, Montanez, Mullin, Nation, Nava,
Negrete McLeod, Oropeza, Parra, Pavley, Ridley-Thomas,
Ruskin, Saldana, Salinas, Spitzer, Torrico, Umberg,
Vargas, Wolk, Yee, Nunez
NOES: Aghazarian, Blakeslee, Bogh, Cogdill, Daucher,
DeVore, Emmerson, Harman, Haynes, Houston, Huff, Keene,
La Malfa, La Suer, Leslie, Maze, McCarthy, Mountjoy,
Nakanishi, Niello, Plescia, Richman, Sharon Runner,
Strickland, Tran, Villines, Walters, Wyland
NO VOTE RECORDED: Benoit, Calderon, Garcia, Gordon, Liu
CTW:cm 8/16/05 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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