BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 654|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 654
Author: Leno (D)
Amended: 1/5/10
Vote: 21
SENATE HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE : 4-1, 4/14/09
AYES: Liu, Maldonado, Alquist, Yee
NOES: Runner
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 6-3, 1/21/10
AYES: Kehoe, Corbett, Leno, Liu, Price, Yee
NOES: Cox, Denham, Walters
SUBJECT : Independent Living Program
SOURCE : County Welfare Directors Association of
California
Childrens Law Center of Los Angeles
DIGEST : This bill extends eligibility for independent
living skills education to former foster youth placed with
non-related legal guardians, whose guardianship was ordered
on or after the child's eighth birthday.
ANALYSIS : Existing law establishes the independent
living program for foster youth, both wards and dependents
of the juvenile court.
This bill extends eligibility for the independent living
program to former dependents of the juvenile court who are
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now placed with non-relative legal guardians, whose
guardianship was ordered on or after the child's eighth
birthday.
Background
The independent living program is established in federal
law. Eligibility for the program is written into the
Social Security Act: a youth must have been in a foster
care placement at or on his or her 16th birthday (even if
only for one day) to be eligible for the program's
services. Youth can receive these independent living
services beginning at age 14 if it is determined that they
will most likely age out of foster care. According to the
Department of Social Services (DSS), there are a few
counties that serve youth as young as 14.
The state provides funds for this program to assist teens
in foster care to prepare for adulthood: the program
includes, for example, how to fill out applications for
employment and higher education, ho to manage a checking
account, and how to do laundry. The state, as the
children's parent, is preparing its children for the wider
world.
In addition to direct and practical benefits, participation
in the program makes youth eligible for additional
services, including financial aid for college, after court
jurisdiction has ended.
Recent legislation made it clear that former foster youth
who are now children in receipt of the Kinship Guardianship
Assistance Payment program are eligible for services
through the independent living program. The Kinship
Guardianship Assistance Payment program provides legal
guardianship by a relative to a former foster child. This
bill extends the eligibility to those former foster youth
who are in the care of a non-relative legal guardian.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
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Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 20010-11 2011-12
2012-13 Fund
GF cost pressure from $75 $150 $150 General
increased eligibility
SUPPORT : (Verified 1/21/10)
County Welfare Directors Association of California
(co-source)
Children's Law Center of Los Angeles (co-source)
California Alliance of Child and Family Services
California Coalition for Youth
California Communities United Institute
California State Association of Counties
County of Butte Department of Employment and Social
Services
County of Humboldt Health and Human Services Department
County of Monterey
Merced County Human Services Agency
Regional Council of Rural Counties
San Luis Obispo County Department of Social Services
Sonoma County Human Services Department
OPPOSITION : (Verified 1/21/10)
Department of Finance
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : Numbers of youth affected by the
bill
The County Welfare Directors Association (CWDA), one of the
bills sponsors, believes that 750 youth who could exit the
dependency system have had their cases kept open so that
the youth can receive independent living program services.
CWDA believes that there are another 460 youth who are
already placed with non-related legal guardians, are
current ineligible for independent living program services,
and would become eligible if this bill becomes law.
ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION : The Department of Finance
opposes this bill as it would result in annual General Fund
costs or pressure of $475,000 to fund and expansion of
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independent living program services.
CTW:nl 1/25/10 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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