BILL NUMBER: SB 996 VETOED DATE: 09/29/2014 To the Members of the California State Senate: I am returning Senate Bill 996 without my signature. This bill would revise both the timeframes and frequency with which a county social worker must submit a report to the juvenile court verifying that certain documents and services have been provided to a youth prior to exiting foster care. The bill would also add financial literacy to the written materials required to be presented to the foster youth. Having access to one's own vital documents is necessary in the transition to adulthood. Some reports suggest that not all youth feel responsible enough at age 16 to handle these documents, and that providing them at an earlier age, as this bill requires, may exacerbate the problem of identity theft for foster youth. I would encourage county social workers, foster youth advocates, and court representatives to work on a solution that takes these variables into account. Sincerely, Edmund G. Brown Jr.