BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    




                   Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
                           Senator Kevin Murray, Chairman

                                           2216 (Bass)
          
          Hearing Date:  8/7/2006         Amended: 8/7/2006
          Consultant:  John Miller        Policy Vote: Human Svcs  3 - 1
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          ____
          BILL SUMMARY:  AB 2216 would establish an advisory body within  
          the Health and Human Services Agency to improve the coordination  
          and service delivery to the child welfare and foster care  
          system.   
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          ____
                            Fiscal Impact (in thousands)

           Major Provisions         2006-07      2007-08       2008-09     Fund
           Agency/Courts support  $ 75       $ 65        $ 30      GF  
          Action may prevent federal penalties and result in off-setting  
          savings.
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          ____

          STAFF COMMENTS: This bill will establish an advisory body within  
          the administration in order to provide leadership to and  
          coordination among the counties, courts, departments and  
          stakeholders who serve children and youth in the child welfare  
          and foster care systems. The bill provides for the composition  
          of the council including the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court  
          and Secretary of the Health and Human Services Agency as  
          co-chairs. The advisory body is charged with reviewing the  
          administrative structure of child welfare services and making  
          recommendations to develop more effective operations,  
          leadership, and performance standards necessary to realize  
          improved outcomes for current and former foster children.

          A number of sources have commented on the need to coordinate  
          services among the many state and county agencies serving  
          children and the need for a unifying administrative authority  
          and leadership. The state has undertaken a review of county  
          child welfare operations through the Child Welfare System  
          Improvement and Accountability Act of 2001; however studies by  
          the Little Hoover Commission, PEW Commission and California  
          Performance Review Report supported the need for state  
          leadership and performance measures. The federal government has  










          found California out of compliance with outcome measures for  
          child safety, well-being, and permanency. The state has been  
          required to implement a performance improvement plan, though the  
          Legislative Analyst has determined that despite progress,  
          California's child welfare system still fails six of seven  
          federal standards and faces the possibility of federal penalties  
          in April 2007. Based on the current performance, California's  
          penalty would be $42 million and could total $59 million.

          California currently spends roughly $2.2 billion ($630 million  
          GF) from all funds on child welfare services.