BILL ANALYSIS
AB 3015
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 3015 (Brownley)
As Amended May 23, 2008
Majority vote
HUMAN SERVICES 4-1 APPROPRIATIONS 12-5
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|Ayes:|Beall, Davis, DeSaulnier, |Ayes:|Leno, Caballero, Davis, |
| |Furutani | |DeSaulnier, Eng, Huffman, |
| | | |Berg, Krekorian, Lieu, |
| | | |Ma, Nava, Solorio |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Berryhill |Nays:|Walters, Emmerson, La |
| | | |Malfa, Nakanishi, Sharon |
| | | |Runner |
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SUMMARY : Requires additional subject matter coverage in
mandatory trainings of foster care providers. Specifically,
this bill requires that the following mandatory training
programs include basic instruction on existing laws regarding
the safety of foster youth at school, including the California
Student Safety and Violence Prevention Act of 2000:
1)Classroom instruction for group home administrator
certification programs.
2)Pre-placement trainings for licensed foster families.
3)Trainings by community college districts that have foster care
education programs of relative and nonrelative extended family
member caregivers.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Provides that a child who has been, or is at substantial risk
of being, subjected to certain forms of abuse, neglect,
exploitation or abandonment may be removed from his/her
parent(s) or guardian(s) and adjudged a dependent of the
juvenile court.
2)Requires the Director of the Department of Social Services
AB 3015
Page 2
(DSS) to develop and establish a certification program to
ensure that group home administrators have appropriate
training.
3)Requires foster parents to meet pre-placement and ongoing
annual training requirements. Requires community college
districts with foster care education programs to make
orientations and trainings, as specified, available to
relatives or non-relative extended family member caregivers.
4)Specifies that all foster children have rights to fair and
equal access to services, placement, care, treatment, and
benefits, and to not be subjected to discrimination or
harassment on the basis of actual or perceived race, ethnic
group identification, ancestry, national origin, color,
religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, mental or
physical disability or HIV status.
5)Prohibits discrimination in school programs and activities
based on sex, ethnic group identification, race, national
origin, religion, mental or physical disability, or any basis
that is included in the definition of a hate crime.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee analysis, workload costs associated with adding the
required information to the caregiver training curriculum would
be minor and absorbable within existing resources.
COMMENTS : According to the author, "On February 12, 2008 a
14-year-old entered a classroom at E.O. Green Junior High School
in Oxnard, CA and shot a 15-year-old student named Lawrence
"Larry" King in the head. Larry self-identified as gay,
sometimes wore make-up and feminine jewelry, and was the target
of ridicule and bullying by some of his classmates, including
the shooter. Larry was a foster youth who lived at a group home
for abused and neglected children...Foster youth are more
vulnerable to harassment by nature of their familial status and
often times, their caregivers are not aware of the existence of
education law that protects students from harassment at their
schools. Efforts should be made to ensure that foster youth and
their caregivers are knowledgeable about how to report and
prevent harassment and violence not only in their homes, but in
their schools."
AB 3015
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Student Safety and Violence Prevention Act (Act) : The Act,
which is a specified subject of the training requirements in
this bill, was enacted by AB 537 (Kuehl), Chapter 587, Statutes
of 2000. The Act prohibits discrimination in school programs
and activities based on sex, ethnic group identification, race,
national origin, religion, mental or physical disability, or any
basis that is included in the definition of a hate crime, which
includes many of these same actual or perceived characteristics,
as well as sexual orientation.
Analysis Prepared by : Jennifer Troia / HUM. S. / (916)
319-2089
FN: 0005216