BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 978
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 27, 2005

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                   Judy Chu, Chair

                    AB 978 (Runner) - As Amended:  April 14, 2005 

          Policy Committee:                              JudiciaryVote:9-0  
          (Consent)

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

           SUMMARY  

          This bill:

          1)Prohibits parties enjoined under civil harassment orders, and  
            workplace, juvenile, domestic violence, stalking, criminal, or  
            elder or dependent adult protective orders, from taking any  
            action to obtain the address or location of a protected party  
            or a protected party's family members, caretaker or guardian,  
            unless there is good cause for the court not to make such an  
            order. 

          2)Requires the Judicial Council to promulgate forms to  
            effectuate the above.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          1)Minor absorbable costs to the Judicial Council to promulgate  
            the forms. 

          2)Nonreimbursable costs to counties, partially offset by fine  
            revenues, for prosecution and incarceration related to  
            violations of the above, which are misdemeanors.

           COMMENTS  

           Purpose  . This bill requires the court to prohibit any party  
          restrained under civil or criminal protective orders from taking  
          any action to obtain the address or location of the protected  
          party or his or her family members. Existing law only prevents  
          disclosure of a protected party's address.  It does not prevent  
          the restrained party from affirmatively seeking that address or  








                                                                  AB 978
                                                                  Page  2

          other location information. With emerging technology and  
          internet access, there are now a myriad of ways in which  
          someone's address or location can be obtained. By providing for  
          an automatic prohibition against seeking address information,  
          the restrained party will be immediately aware of the  
          consequences of such action.

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081