BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  SB 1641
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   August 9, 2006

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                   Judy Chu, Chair

                    SB 1641 (Soto) - As Amended:  August 7, 2006 

          Policy Committee:                              Human  
          ServicesVote:4 - 1

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

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires the Department of Social Services (DSS) to  
          report to the Legislature during 2007-08 budget hearings on the  
          progress of the DSS residential regulation review group.  In  
          addition, this bill requires placement agencies to place foster  
          children in homes that best meet the needs of the child.   
          Specifically, this bill: 

          1)Requires the director to report at budget hearings on the  
            activities of the workgroup to date, the timeline for  
            completion of the activities, and any recommendations being  
            considered.

          2)Requires foster children to be placed in a home that best  
            meets the needs of the child and meets the following criteria:

             a)   The foster parent is able to meet health, safety, and  
               well-being needs of the child.

             b)   The foster parent is permitted to maintain the least  
               restrictive and most family-like environment that meets the  
               needs of the child.

             c)   The child is permitted to engage in reasonable,  
               age-appropriate activities.

             d)   The foster parent uses a reasonable and prudent standard  
               to determine activities that are age-appropriate and meet  
               the needs of the child.

           FISCAL EFFECT  








                                                                  SB 1641
                                                                  Page  2


          1)Minor, absorbable administrative costs for the DSS to review  
            and clean up relevant regulations governing the licensing of  
            foster care facilities.

          2)Minor, if any, nonreimbursable local public safety costs as  
            this bill expands an existing crime relating to licensing and  
            regulation of placement agencies and foster care providers.

           COMMENTS 

           Rationale  . The intent of this legislation is to expand the use  
          of the "prudent parent" standard that was adopted last year in  
          SB 358 (Scott), Chapter 628, Statutes of 2005.  Under that  
          legislation, foster parents are now allowed to use the prudent  
          parent standard when hiring a short-term babysitter for their  
          foster child(ren) and no longer need to obtain a fingerprint  
          criminal background check clearance.

          SB 1641 will allow foster parents to use the prudent parent  
          standard for making such decisions as a foster child's  
          participation in athletic and recreational activities, having  
          appropriate access to household products such as laundry  
          detergent, and having appropriate access to over-the-counter  
          medications.

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