BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



          
           AB 706
                                                                  Page  1

          CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
          AB 706 (Human Services Committee)
          As Amended  June 25, 2009
          2/3 Vote.  Urgency 

           
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          |ASSEMBLY:  |79-0 |(May 26, 2009)  |SENATE: |40-0 |(June 29,      |
          |           |     |                |        |     |2009)          |
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           Original Committee Reference:    HUM. S.  

           SUMMARY  :  Makes technical, clarifying, and conforming changes to  
          provisions related to providing reunification services and  
          scheduling of juvenile court review hearings concerning children  
          who are dependents of the juvenile court and their parents or  
          guardians; and, includes an urgency provision.

           The Senate amendments  make only additional technical and  
          clarifying changes.

           AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY  , this Human Services Committee bill,  
          sponsored by the Children's Law Center of Los Angeles, made only  
          technical, non-substantive changes to minimize potential  
          unintended confusion resulting from recent statutory changes  
          about the scheduling of review hearings in juvenile court  
          dependency proceedings. 
           
           FISCAL EFFECT  :  None

           COMMENTS  :  In 2008, AB 2341 (Maze), Chapter 457, Statutes of  
          2008, changed the statutes governing reunification services to  
          clarify that children and families in the child welfare system  
          should typically receive a full six months of reunification  
          services if the child is under three years of age, and twelve  
          months if the child is over three years of age.  AB 2341 also  
          established a clearer process for early termination of  
          reunification services when new evidence or a change of  
          circumstances means that reunification is no longer an  
          appropriate goal.  As a result, children and their parents can  
          rest assured that they will receive reunification services  
          pursuant to the court's order in the absence of new evidence or  
          a change of circumstances.  








          
           AB 706
                                                                  Page  2


          After AB 2341 was enacted, concerns were expressed that its  
          statutory changes may create unintended confusion about the  
          scheduling of review hearings in juvenile courts.  This bill is  
          a clean-up bill that makes technical, non-substantive changes to  
          minimize any potential confusion.  The Senate amendments merely  
          make additional non-substantive, clarifying changes.  


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Eric Gelber / HUM. S. / (916) 319-2089 

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