BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 2985|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 2985
Author: Maze (R), et al
Amended: 8/15/06 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE : 4-1, 6/27/06
AYES: Alquist, Maldonado, Chesbro, Romero
NOES: Aanestad
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 13-0, 8/7/06
AYES: Murray, Aanestad, Alarcon, Alquist, Ashburn, Battin,
Dutton, Escutia, Florez, Ortiz, Poochigian, Romero,
Torlakson
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 75-0, 5/4/06 (Consent) - See last page for
vote
SUBJECT : Foster youth: identity theft
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill requires county welfare departments to
request a credit report (consumer disclosure) on behalf of
each foster child turning 16 in order to ascertain whether
identity theft has occurred.
Senate Floor Amendments of 8/15/06 strike out amendments to
an existing section of law, Section 1785.11 of the Welfare
and Institutions Code, and instead simply add a new section
(Section 10618.6 of the same code) to accomplish the same
CONTINUED
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purpose of reviewing credit histories of foster youth in
order to address any identity theft which may have
occurred.
ANALYSIS : Existing law requires the state, through the
Department of Social Services (DSS) and county welfare
departments, to establish and support a system statewide
child welfare, which includes services related to foster
care placement of dependent children and adoption.
This bill requires county welfare departments to conduct
credit checks on behalf of any foster child who reaches 16
years of age and is in the care of the county. If the
credit check discloses any negative items, or any evidence
that some form of identity theft has occurred, the county
welfare department would be required to refer the youth to
an approved organization.
The bill requires DSS, in consultation with the County
Welfare Directors Association, consumer credit reporting
agencies and other relevant stakeholders, to develop a list
of approved organizations to which foster youth may be
referred.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: Yes
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09
Fund
Staff services $60 $120 $120
GF
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/16/06)
California Alliance of Child and Family Services
OPPOSITION : (Verified 8/16/06)
Department of Finance
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ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : The California Alliance of Child
and Family Services support the bill and write, "Foster
youth already face many challenges when they emancipate
from foster care. It is important for their successful
transition to self-sufficiency that they are able to start
their adult lives free from negative credit history for
which they are not responsible. When the State intervened
in lives of these youth, and removed them from their homes
for their protection and well-being, the State took
responsibility for playing the role of their parents. Of
course, the State and its juvenile courts do not play their
parental role directly. They rely on others for that:
county social services and probation agencies and their
social workers and probation officers, private nonprofit
agencies, foster parents, and relatives.
"AB 2985 is one specific measure that the State can and
should make to fulfill its role as a good parent for its
foster children by ensuring that they are able to begin
their adult lives with a 'clean' credit history."
ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION : The Department of Finance is
opposed to the bill for the following reasons:
"The bill would result in increased General fund
expenditures not included in the 2006 Budget Act.
"It is not known whether the problem that this bill is
intended to correct is widespread throughout the state.
"It is not clear why the 16th birthday was selected as the
point in time when a credit check would be performed. It
is possible for a person much younger to be a victim of
identity theft."
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Aghazarian, Arambula, Baca, Bass, Benoit, Berg,
Bermudez, Blakeslee, Bogh, Calderon, Canciamilla, Chavez,
Chu, Cogdill, Cohn, Coto, Daucher, De La Torre, DeVore,
Dymally, Emmerson, Evans, Frommer, Goldberg, Hancock,
Harman, Jerome Horton, Shirley Horton, Houston, Huff,
Jones, Karnette, Keene, Klehs, Koretz, La Malfa, Laird,
Leno, Leslie, Levine, Lieber, Lieu, Liu, Matthews, Maze,
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McCarthy, Montanez, Mountjoy, Mullin, Nakanishi, Nation,
Nava, Negrete McLeod, Niello, Oropeza, Parra, Pavley,
Plescia, Richman, Ridley-Thomas, Sharon Runner, Ruskin,
Saldana, Salinas, Strickland, Torrico, Tran, Umberg,
Vargas, Villines, Walters, Wolk, Wyland, Yee, Nunez
NO VOTE RECORDED: Chan, Garcia, Haynes, La Suer, Spitzer
CTW:nl 8/16/06 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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