BILL NUMBER: AB 2985	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  JUNE 20, 2006
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 18, 2006

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Maze
    (   Coauthor:   Assembly Member  
Bass   ) 

                        FEBRUARY 24, 2006

    An act to amend Section 1522.41 of, and to add Section
1522.6 to, the Health and Safety Code, relating to group homes.
  An act to add Section 10618.6 to the Welfare and
Institutions Code, relating to identity theft. 


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2985, as amended, Maze   Group homes: administrator and
employee requirements.   Foster youth: identity theft.
 
   Existing law requires the placement of dependent children by the
juvenile court according to specified procedures. Existing law
requires the State Department of Social Services to administer every
phase of the administration of public social services, except as
specified. Existing law also requires the state, through the
department and county welfare departments, to establish and support a
system of statewide child welfare, which includes services related
to foster care placement of dependent children and adoption. 

   This bill would require a county welfare department to conduct a
credit check on behalf of a youth in a foster care placement in the
county, when the youth reaches his or her 16th birthday, in order to
ascertain whether the youth has been the victim of identity theft. If
the credit check discloses evidence that identity theft has
occurred, the bill would require the county welfare department to
refer the youth to a nonprofit entity that provides credit counseling
and investigative services. By requiring county welfare departments
to perform new duties with respect to children in foster care
placement, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
 
  The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local
agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the
state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that
reimbursement.  
   This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates
determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state,
reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these
statutory provisions.   
   Under the existing California Community Care Facilities Act, the
State Department of Social Services generally regulates the licensure
and operation of community care facilities, including group homes.
Under existing law, a violation of these provisions is a misdemeanor.
 
   This bill would provide, with specified exceptions, that no group
home may employ any person under 21 years of age in any aspect of the
operation of the group home, and would apply these provisions to
administrators of group homes.   
   Because this bill would create a new crime, this bill would result
in a state-mandated local program.  
  The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local
agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the
state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that
reimbursement.  
   This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this
act for a specified reason. 
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: yes.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


   SECTION 1.    Section 10618.6 is added to the 
 Welfare and Institutions Code   , to read:  
   10618.6.  A county welfare department shall conduct a credit check
on behalf of any youth in a foster care placement in the county,
when the youth reaches his or her 16th birthday, in order to
ascertain whether the youth has been the victim of identity theft. If
the credit check discloses evidence that identity theft has
occurred, the county welfare department shall refer the youth to a
nonprofit entity that provides credit counseling and investigative
services, to explore the circumstances of the identity theft and
determine the steps necessary to clear the youth's credit history, in
order to facilitate self-sufficiency for the youth.  
   SEC. 2.    If the Commission on State Mandates
determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state,
reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs
shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of
Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.   
  SECTION 1.    The Legislature finds and declares
as follows:   All matter omitted in this version of the bill
appears in the bill as amended in the Assembly, April 18,2006 (JR11)