BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 2410
                                                                  Page  1


          ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
          AB 2410 (Fuller)
          As Amended  April 20, 2010
          Majority vote 

           PUBLIC SAFETY       7-0                                         
           
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          |Ayes:|Ammiano, Hagman, Beall,   |     |                          |
          |     |Gilmore, Hill,            |     |                          |
          |     |Portantino, Skinner       |     |                          |
          |     |                          |     |                          |
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           SUMMARY  :   Expands the list of drugs for which a joint  
          investigation between law enforcement and social service  
          agencies is triggered when a child is present at a crime scene.   
          Specifically,  this bill  :

          1)Encourages law enforcement and social service agencies to  
            develop, adopt, and implement written policies and standards  
            for their response to narcotics crime scenes where a child is  
            either immediately present or where there is evidence that a  
            child lives.  The new expanded list includes hallucinogens,  
            methamphetamine, cocaine, phencyclidine (PCP), and heroin.  

          2)Clarifies that removal of a child from a crime scene involving  
            the expanded list of drugs where there is an immediate threat  
            to the child's health or safety, is in the best interests of  
            the child.  

           EXISTING LAW  :

          1)Recognizes that exposing a child to the manufacturing,  
            trafficking, and use of narcotics is criminal conduct and that  
            a response coordinated by law enforcement and social services  
            agencies is essential to the child's health and welfare and  
            encourages law enforcement and social services to develop,  
            adopt, and implement written policies and standards for their  
            response to narcotics crime scenes where a child is either  
            immediately present or where there is evidence that a child  
            lives.  

          2)States that the needs of children exposed to narcotics crime  
            scenes are best served by written policies encouraging the  








                                                                  AB 2410
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            arrest of an individual for child endangerment where there is  
            probable cause that an offense has been committed and  
            coordination with an appropriate investigation of that child's  
            welfare by child protective services.  Protocols that  
            encourage dependency hearings, along with law enforcement  
            investigation, are in the best interests of the child.  

          3)States that the use of the word "narcotics," unless otherwise  
            specified, is defined as any drug listed in Schedules I and  
            II.  

          4)Provides that hallucinogens are a controlled substance listed  
            in Schedule I.  

          5)Provides that methamphetamine is a controlled substance listed  
            in Schedule II, which includes any material, compound,  
            mixture, or preparation having a stimulant effect on the  
            central nervous system.  

          6)Provides that cocaine is a controlled substance listed in  
            Schedule II.  

          7)Provides that PCP is a controlled substance listed in Schedule  
            II, which includes any material, compound, mixture, or  
            preparation having a depressant effect on the central nervous  
            system.  

          8)Provides that heroin is a controlled substance listed in  
            Schedule I, which includes opium derivatives, its salts,  
            isomers, and salts of isomers.  

          9)States any person who manufactures, compounds, produces,  
            converts, produces, derives, processes or prepares, any  
            controlled substance specified in Schedules I or II, including  
            hallucinogens, methamphetamine, cocaine, PCP, and heroin, is  
            guilty of a felony, punishable by imprisonment in the state  
            prison for three, five, or seven years and by a fine of up to  
            $50,000.  

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  None

           COMMENTS  :  According to the author, "AB 2410  is necessary to  
          protect children from a parent or [guardian] who is using or is  
          suspected of using [hallucinogenics] such as methamphetamine,  








                                                                  AB 2410
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          cocaine, PCP, and heroin.  Exposing children to narcotics is not  
          only harmful to their health and livelihood it is potentially  
          life threatening when a child is left in the care of an  
          individual who is using hallucinogens."

          Please see the policy committee for a full discussion of this  
          bill.
           

          Analysis Prepared by  :    Milena Nelson / PUB. S. / (916)  
          319-3744 

                                                               FN:  0003942