BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 921
                                                                  Page  1

          CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
          AB 921 (Jones)
          As Amended  August 17, 2009
          Majority vote
           
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          |ASSEMBLY:  |78-0 |(May 28, 2009)  |SENATE: |35-0 |(August 31,    |
          |           |     |                |        |     |2009)          |
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           Original Committee Reference:    HUM. S.  

           SUMMARY  :  Requires that, whenever a court terminates  
          jurisdiction over a ward or upon release of a ward from a  
          non-foster care facility, a probation officer or parole officer  
          shall give written notice to the individual, if he or she was  
          previously judged to be a dependent child of the court or had at  
          any time been placed in foster care, saying that the person is a  
          former foster child and may be eligible for services available  
          to former foster children through public and private programs,.   
          Requires that the person be informed of the availability of  
          assistance to access such services for which he or she is or may  
          be eligible.

           The Senate amendments  make technical and clarifying changes that  
          do not substantially change the bill as passed by the Assembly.

           AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY  , this bill provided that the court  
          shall order the probation officer or parole officer to give the  
          notice and information that this bill requires.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  According to the Assembly Appropriations  
          Committee:

          1)Minimal reimbursable local costs, likely less than $50,000,  
            for the workload associated with probation officers providing  
            wards the required information and assistance. 

          2)Social workers are already required to provide this  
            information and assistance to foster youth.  Therefore there  
            are no new costs for county child welfare departments. 

           COMMENTS  :  This bill is intended to re-connect dual status  
          children (who are simultaneously designated as a dependent child  
          and a ward), or former foster children who subsequently become  








                                                                  AB 921
                                                                  Page  2

          wards of the court, with transitional programs available through  
          the foster care system.  The Senate amendments make only minor  
          and clarifying changes to the Assembly version of this bill.

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


                                                                 FN:  
          0002491