BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 996
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Date of Hearing: July 2, 2014
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mike Gatto, Chair
SB 996 (Evans) - As Amended: March 18, 2014
Policy Committee: Human
ServicesVote:6 - 0
Judiciary 9 - 0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
Yes Reimbursable: Yes
SUMMARY
This bill requires specific information be provided to minors
and nonminors in foster care and recasts and revises Section 391
of the Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) regarding termination
of a minor or nonminor's dependency jurisdiction. Specifically,
this bill:
1)Requires a county welfare agency (CWA), at a dependent child's
first regularly scheduled court hearing after he or she turns
16 years of age, to submit a report verifying the following
information, documents, and services have been provided to the
minor:
a) Social security card.
b) Certified copy of the birth certificate.
c) Driver's license.
d) Assistance in obtaining employment.
e) Assistance in preparing and applying for admission to a
postsecondary educational institution or vocational
training program.
f) Information notifying the minor of his or her right to
be granted preference for a student assistant or internship
position with state agencies.
g) Information notifying the minor of any financial
literacy programs or other available resources provided
through the county or other community organizations to help
the youth obtain financial literacy skills, including, but
not limited to, banking, credit card debt, student loan
debt, credit scores, credit history, and personal savings.
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2)Reorganizes the requirements for the termination of a
nonminor's dependency jurisdiction.
FISCAL EFFECT
1) Potential first-year increased state GF costs
(non-reimbursable) of approximately $600,000 to the extent
the provisions of this bill result in increased county social
worker workload in the first year of implementation.
2) On-going annual net GF costs of at least $400,000 for the
workload associated with providing all 16-year old foster
youth with the required information. That workload would be
partially offset by the workload savings associated with
providing less information to foster youth who are 17 and
older and have already received their required documents.
3) Proposition 30, passed by the voters in November 2012, among
other provisions, eliminated any potential mandate funding
liability for any new program or higher level of service
provided by counties related to the realigned programs.
Although the provisions of this bill are a mandate on local
agencies, any increased costs do not appear to be subject to
reimbursement by the state. Rather, Proposition 30 specifies
that for legislation enacted after September 30, 2012, that
has an overall effect of increasing the costs already borne
by a local agency for realigned programs, the provisions
shall apply to local agencies only to the extent that the
state provides annual funding for the cost increase.
COMMENTS
1)Purpose . Supporters assert that with the recent changes to
California law allowing youth to remain in foster care and
access services until age 21 instead of 18, we must ensure
that our system is as effective as possible in preparing
foster youth to go out in the world on their own - and to be
successful in doing so. Providing youth or young adults with
the important documentation and support required under current
law at an earlier date will give them a better opportunity for
success. SB 996 enables youth to receive these vital documents
when they need them, rather than the day they exit foster
care. In addition, SB 996 will also ensure that youth are
provided with written information for any financial literacy
programs or other available resources to help them obtain
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financial literacy skills.
2)Background . According to the California Child Welfare
Indicators Project, 6,000 to 7,000 youth between the ages of
16 and 21 have exited the state's foster care system annually
over the past three years. Under current law, when a foster
youth ages out of the system, the county welfare agency is
required to provide a designated list of documents,
information and services to youth to equip them for
independence. This information is required to be given at his
or her dependency termination proceedings, which prior to the
California Fostering Connections to Success Act (AB 12, Beall,
2012), was generally at age 18, but now occurs for many at age
21.
This bill seeks to ensure the greatest opportunity for
success, by providing these documents to youth at an earlier
age to better support their endeavors to find a job, or enroll
in higher education, and allow a successful transition to
independence.
3)Prior Legislation .
a) This bill is a reintroduction of SB 343 (Yee) 2013. It
is nearly identical except for the added provision of
providing financial literacy program information to the
minor. SB 343 was held on this committee's Suspense File.
b) AB 212 (Beall) Chapter 459, Statutes of 2011, among
other things, expanded the documents required to be
provided to a court terminating jurisdiction over a
dependent to include an advance health care directive form.
c) AB 12 (Beall) Chapter 559, Statutes of 2010 authorized
the state to exercise the federal option of the Fostering
Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of
2008, by extending benefits in the foster care, Kin-GAP,
Fed-GAP, and Adoption Assistance programs to age 21 for
youth who meet specified criteria.
Analysis Prepared by : Jennifer Swenson / APPR. / (916)
319-2081
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