BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    




                    Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
          
                                          AB2315  (Mazzoni))
          
          Hearing Date:8/23/00            Amended:8/7/00 & LCR#16964
          Consultant: George Cate         Policy Vote:H&HS 6-1   
          ____________________________________________________________ 
          ___
          BILL SUMMARY: 
          
          AB 2315 requires probation officers for defendants, who are  
          parents and going to be incarcerated, to include in the  
          sentencing report a discussion of what arrangements exist  
          for the care of the defendants children while the  
          defendants are in jail.  This report would have to be sent  
          to the county child welfare services agency and the family  
          court for assessment, when appropriate.  

          This bill also requires the Attorney General (AG) and the  
          Secretary of Health and Human Services Agency (HSSA) to  
          jointly convene a study group to develop and disseminate a  
          model protocol for the care of children at the time of  
          their parents arrest.  This model would have to be  
          developed by March 2002.

                              Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
           
          Major Provisions        2000-01             2001-02               2002-03   
           Fund  
          
          Reporting         Minor local costs, potentially >150General*
          Study             Minor absorbable costs     General

               * State mandated costs are reimbursable
          
          STAFF COMMENTS:  SUSPENSE FILE
          
          The AG and HHSA should be able to absorb the costs relating  
          to the study.  However, the local costs for including  
          information in the reports may cost more than $150,000 per  
          year depending on the difficulty in obtaining the required  
          information.

           Proposed amendments eliminate part of the mandate.