BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 2985
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 26, 2006

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                   Judy Chu, Chair

                    AB 2985 (Maze) - As Amended:  April 18, 2006 

          Policy Committee:                              Human  
          ServicesVote:6 - 0

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

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires that all employees hired by a group home be  
          at least 21 years of age unless they meet the following  
          criteria:

          1)They were employed by the facility prior to December 31, 2006.

          2)They are a full-time or part-time college student studying for  
            a degree in the behavioral sciences.

          3)They are not solely responsible for the care and supervision  
            of children and work with another person who is at least 21  
            years of age.

          4)Their duties do not include responsibility for the care and  
            supervision of children.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          1)Negligible state cost.


          2)Minor, if any, nonreimbursable local incarceration costs as  
            this bill expands a misdemeanor. 


           COMMENTS  

           Rationale.   This bill is designed to protect the health and  
          well-being of children living in group homes by increasing the  
          age difference between the residents of the group home and the  








                                                                  AB 2985
                                                                  Page  2

          people responsible for their care. The author reports that in  
          October 2005, a 19-year-old group home worker was arrested on  
          suspicion of selling drugs to group home children. This example  
          demonstrates the problems that can arise when the group home  
          caregiver is too close in age to the residents.

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Julie Salley-Gray / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081