BILL NUMBER: AB 2380	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 24, 2010

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Bonnie Lowenthal
   (Coauthor: Assembly Member Portantino)

                        FEBRUARY 19, 2010

   An act to amend  Sections 11166, 11167.5, and 11170
  Section 11166  of the Penal Code, relating to
child abuse.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2380, as amended, Bonnie Lowenthal. Child abuse 
prevention.   reporting. 
   Existing law identifies specified persons as mandated reporters
who must submit a report to law enforcement whenever in their
professional capacity or within the scope of their employment, they
have knowledge of or observe a child who is known or reasonably
suspected to have been the victim of child abuse or neglect. Existing
law defines the term "reasonable suspicion" for purposes of these
child abuse reporting provisions.
   This bill would provide that "reasonable suspicion" does not
require  certain knowledge   certainty 
that child abuse or neglect has occurred nor does it require a
specific medical indication of child abuse or neglect. The bill would
also provide that "reasonable suspicion" may be based on any
information considered credible by the reporter, including 
hearsay   statements from other individuals  .

   Existing law requires the Department of Justice to maintain an
index of all reports of child abuse and severe neglect submitted by
agencies mandated to make those reports.  
   This bill would require the department to make available to
certain health care practitioners who have delivered or treated a
newborn infant information regarding any known or suspected child
abuser maintained on the index concerning any parent or primary care
provider of the newborn infant. The bill would provide that the
health care practitioner is responsible for obtaining the original
investigative report from the reporting agency and for drawing
independent conclusions on the evidence for purposes of evaluating
the necessity for a child welfare risk assessment. The bill would
require the health care practitioner to notify the local child
protective services agency if it is determined that a child welfare
risk assessment is appropriate.  
   Existing law requires a person convicted of any specified sex
offenses to register as a sex offender and provide specified
information to law enforcement agencies. That information is kept at
the location where the offender registered and transmitted to the
Department of Justice where it is electronically stored in the
Violent Crime Information Network (VCIN), as specified. 

   This bill would require the Department of Justice to study the
feasibility and value of requiring every person who must register as
a sex offender to include in the information provided by the person
all e-mail addresses and instant message addresses, all screen names
and online pseudonyms, and all Internet protocol addresses he or she
uses, or intends to use, to communicate over the Internet. The bill
would require the department's study to include a determination of
the value and feasibility of incorporating this information in the
VCIN, and would require the department to complete and publish its
report by December 31, 2011.  
   This bill would make technical and conforming changes. 
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  yes
  no  . State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 11166 of the Penal Code is amended to read:
   11166.  (a) Except as provided in subdivision (d), and in Section
11166.05, a mandated reporter shall make a report to an agency
specified in Section 11165.9 whenever the mandated reporter, in his
or her professional capacity or within the scope of his or her
employment, has knowledge of or observes a child whom the mandated
reporter knows or reasonably suspects has been the victim of child
abuse or neglect. The mandated reporter shall make an initial report
to the agency immediately or as soon as is practicably possible by
telephone and the mandated reporter shall prepare and send, fax, or
electronically transmit a written followup report thereof within 36
hours of receiving the information concerning the incident. The
mandated reporter may include with the report any nonprivileged
documentary evidence the mandated reporter possesses relating to the
incident.
   (1) For purposes of this article, "reasonable suspicion" means
that it is objectively reasonable for a person to entertain a
suspicion, based upon facts that could cause a reasonable person in a
like position, drawing, when appropriate, on his or her training and
experience, to suspect child abuse or neglect. "Reasonable suspicion"
does not require  certain knowledge   certainty
 that child abuse or neglect has occurred nor does it require a
specific medical indication of child abuse or neglect; any
"reasonable suspicion" is sufficient. "Reasonable suspicion" may be
based on any information considered credible by the reporter,
including  hearsay   statements from other
individuals  . For the purpose of this article, the pregnancy of
a minor does not, in and of itself, constitute a basis for a
reasonable suspicion of sexual abuse.
   (2) The agency shall be notified and a report shall be prepared
and sent, faxed, or electronically transmitted even if the child has
expired, regardless of whether or not the possible abuse was a factor
contributing to the death, and even if suspected child abuse was
discovered during an autopsy.
   (3) Any report made by a mandated reporter pursuant to this
section shall be known as a mandated report.
   (b) If after reasonable efforts a mandated reporter is unable to
submit an initial report by telephone, he or she shall immediately or
as soon as is practicably possible, by fax or electronic
transmission, make a one-time automated written report on the form
prescribed by the Department of Justice, and shall also be available
to respond to a telephone followup call by the agency with which he
or she filed the report. A mandated reporter who files a one-time
automated written report because he or she was unable to submit an
initial report by telephone is not required to submit a written
followup report.
   (1) The one-time automated written report form prescribed by the
Department of Justice shall be clearly identifiable so that it is not
mistaken for a standard written followup report. In addition, the
automated one-time report shall contain a section that allows the
mandated reporter to state the reason the initial telephone call was
not able to be completed. The reason for the submission of the
one-time automated written report in lieu of the procedure prescribed
in subdivision (a) shall be captured in the Child Welfare
Services/Case Management System (CWS/CMS). The department shall work
with stakeholders to modify reporting forms and the CWS/CMS as is
necessary to accommodate the changes enacted by these provisions.
   (2) This subdivision shall not become operative until the CWS/CMS
is updated to capture the information prescribed in this subdivision.

   (3) This subdivision shall become inoperative three years after
this subdivision becomes operative or on January 1, 2009, whichever
occurs first.
   (4) On the inoperative date of these provisions, a report shall be
submitted to the counties and the Legislature by the Department of
Social Services that reflects the data collected from automated
one-time reports indicating the reasons stated as to why the
automated one-time report was filed in lieu of the initial telephone
report.
   (5) Nothing in this section shall supersede the requirement that a
mandated reporter first attempt to make a report via telephone, or
that agencies specified in Section 11165.9 accept reports from
mandated reporters and other persons as required.
   (c) Any mandated reporter who fails to report an incident of known
or reasonably suspected child abuse or neglect as required by this
section is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months
confinement in a county jail or by a fine of one thousand dollars
($1,000) or by both that imprisonment and fine. If a mandated
reporter intentionally conceals his or her failure to report an
incident known by the mandated reporter to be abuse or severe neglect
under this section, the failure to report is a continuing offense
until an agency specified in Section 11165.9 discovers the offense.
   (d) (1) A clergy member who acquires knowledge or a reasonable
suspicion of child abuse or neglect during a penitential
communication is not subject to subdivision (a). For the purposes of
this subdivision, "penitential communication" means a communication,
intended to be in confidence, including, but not limited to, a
sacramental confession, made to a clergy member who, in the course of
the discipline or practice of his or her church, denomination, or
organization, is authorized or accustomed to hear those
communications, and under the discipline, tenets, customs, or
practices of his or her church, denomination, or organization, has a
duty to keep those communications secret.
   (2) Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to modify or
limit a clergy member's duty to report known or suspected child abuse
or neglect when the clergy member is acting in some other capacity
that would otherwise make the clergy member a mandated reporter.
   (3) (A) On or before January 1, 2004, a clergy member or any
custodian of records for the clergy member may report to an agency
specified in Section 11165.9 that the clergy member or any custodian
of records for the clergy member, prior to January 1, 1997, in his or
her professional capacity or within the scope of his or her
employment, other than during a penitential communication, acquired
knowledge or had a reasonable suspicion that a child had been the
victim of sexual abuse that the clergy member or any custodian of
records for the clergy member did not previously report the abuse to
an agency specified in Section 11165.9. The provisions of Section
11172 shall apply to all reports made pursuant to this paragraph.
   (B) This paragraph shall apply even if the victim of the known or
suspected abuse has reached the age of majority by the time the
required report is made.
   (C) The local law enforcement agency shall have jurisdiction to
investigate any report of child abuse made pursuant to this paragraph
even if the report is made after the victim has reached the age of
majority.
   (e) Any commercial film and photographic print processor who has
knowledge of or observes, within the scope of his or her professional
capacity or employment, any film, photograph, videotape, negative,
or slide depicting a child under the age of 16 years engaged in an
act of sexual conduct, shall report the instance of suspected child
abuse to the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction over the case
immediately, or as soon as practicably possible, by telephone and
shall prepare and send, fax, or electronically transmit a written
report of it with a copy of the film, photograph, videotape,
negative, or slide attached within 36 hours of receiving the
information concerning the incident. As used in this subdivision,
"sexual conduct" means any of the following:
   (1) Sexual intercourse, including genital-genital, oral-genital,
anal-genital, or oral-anal, whether between persons of the same or
opposite sex or between humans and animals.
   (2) Penetration of the vagina or rectum by any object.
   (3) Masturbation for the purpose of sexual stimulation of the
viewer.
   (4) Sadomasochistic abuse for the purpose of sexual stimulation of
the viewer.
   (5) Exhibition of the genitals, pubic, or rectal areas of any
person for the purpose of sexual stimulation of the viewer.
   (f) Any mandated reporter who knows or reasonably suspects that
the home or institution in which a child resides is unsuitable for
the child because of abuse or neglect of the child shall bring the
condition to the attention of the agency to which, and at the same
time as, he or she makes a report of the abuse or neglect pursuant to
subdivision (a).
   (g) Any other person who has knowledge of or observes a child whom
he or she knows or reasonably suspects has been a victim of child
abuse or neglect may report the known or suspected instance of child
abuse or neglect to an agency specified in Section 11165.9. For
purposes of this section, "any other person" includes a mandated
reporter who acts in his or her private capacity and not in his or
her professional capacity or within the scope of his or her
employment.
   (h) When two or more persons, who are required to report, jointly
have knowledge of a known or suspected instance of child abuse or
neglect, and when there is agreement among them, the telephone report
may be made by a member of the team selected by mutual agreement and
a single report may be made and signed by the selected member of the
reporting team. Any member who has knowledge that the member
designated to report has failed to do so shall thereafter make the
report.
   (i) (1) The reporting duties under this section are individual,
and no supervisor or administrator may impede or inhibit the
reporting duties, and no person making a report shall be subject to
any sanction for making the report. However, internal procedures to
facilitate reporting and apprise supervisors and administrators of
reports may be established provided that they are not inconsistent
with this article.
   (2) The internal procedures shall not require any employee
required to make reports pursuant to this article to disclose his or
her identity to the employer.
   (3) Reporting the information regarding a case of possible child
abuse or neglect to an employer, supervisor, school principal, school
counselor, coworker, or other person shall not be a substitute for
making a mandated report to an agency specified in Section 11165.9.
   (j) A county probation or welfare department shall immediately, or
as soon as practicably possible, report by telephone, fax, or
electronic transmission to the law enforcement agency having
jurisdiction over the case, to the agency given the responsibility
for investigation of cases under Section 300 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code, and to the district attorney's office every known
or suspected instance of child abuse or neglect, as defined in
Section 11165.6, except acts or omissions coming within subdivision
(b) of Section 11165.2, or reports made pursuant to Section 11165.13
based on risk to a child which relates solely to the inability of the
parent to provide the child with regular care due to the parent's
substance abuse, which shall be reported only to the county welfare
or probation department. A county probation or welfare department
also shall send, fax, or electronically transmit a written report
thereof within 36 hours of receiving the information concerning the
incident to any agency to which it makes a telephone report under
this subdivision.
   (k) A law enforcement agency shall immediately, or as soon as
practicably possible, report by telephone, fax, or electronic
transmission to the agency given responsibility for investigation of
cases under Section 300 of the Welfare and Institutions Code and to
the district attorney's office every known or suspected instance of
child abuse or neglect reported to it, except acts or omissions
coming within subdivision (b) of Section 11165.2, which shall be
reported only to the county welfare or probation department. A law
enforcement agency shall report to the county welfare or probation
department every known or suspected instance of child abuse or
neglect reported to it which is alleged to have occurred as a result
of the action of a person responsible for the child's welfare, or as
the result of the failure of a person responsible for the child's
welfare to adequately protect the minor from abuse when the person
responsible for the child's welfare knew or reasonably should have
known that the minor was in danger of abuse. A law enforcement agency
also shall send, fax, or electronically transmit a written report
thereof within 36 hours of receiving the information concerning the
incident to any agency to which it makes a telephone report under
this subdivision. 
  SEC. 2.    Section 11167.5 of the Penal Code is
amended to read:
   11167.5.  (a) The reports required by Sections 11166 and 11166.2,
or authorized by Section 11166.05, and child abuse or neglect
investigative reports that result in a summary report being filed
with the Department of Justice pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section
11169 shall be confidential and may be disclosed only as provided in
subdivision (b). Any violation of the confidentiality provided by
this article is a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in a county
jail not to exceed six months, by a fine of five hundred dollars
($500), or by both that imprisonment and fine.
   (b) Reports of suspected child abuse or neglect and information
contained therein may be disclosed only to the following:
   (1) Persons or agencies to whom disclosure of the identity of the
reporting party is permitted under Section 11167.
   (2) Persons or agencies to whom disclosure of information is
permitted under subdivision (b) of Section 11170 or subdivision (a)
of Section 11170.5.
   (3) Persons or agencies with whom investigations of child abuse or
neglect are coordinated under the regulations promulgated under
Section 11174.
   (4) Multidisciplinary personnel teams as defined in subdivision
(d) of Section 18951 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
   (5) Persons or agencies responsible for the licensing of
facilities which care for children, as specified in Section 11165.7.
   (6) The State Department of Social Services or any county
licensing agency which has contracted with the state, as specified in
paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 11170, when an
individual has applied for a community care license or child day care
license, or for employment in an out-of-home care facility, or when
a complaint alleges child abuse or neglect by an operator or employee
of an out-of-home care facility.
   (7) Hospital scan teams. As used in this paragraph, "hospital scan
team" means a team of three or more persons established by a
hospital, or two or more hospitals in the same county, consisting of
health care professionals and representatives of law enforcement and
child protective services, the members of which are engaged in the
identification of child abuse or neglect. The disclosure authorized
by this section includes disclosure among all hospital scan teams.
   (8) Coroners and medical examiners when conducting a post mortem
examination of a child.
   (9) The Board of Parole Hearings, which may subpoena an employee
of a county welfare department who can provide relevant evidence and
reports that both (A) are not unfounded, pursuant to Section
11165.12, and (B) concern only the current incidents upon which
parole revocation proceedings are pending against a parolee charged
with child abuse or neglect. The reports and information shall be
confidential pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 11167.
   (10) Personnel from an agency responsible for making a placement
of a child pursuant to Section 361.3 of, and Article 7 (commencing
with Section 305) of Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 2 of, the
Welfare and Institutions Code.
   (11) Persons who have been identified by the Department of Justice
as listed in the Child Abuse Central Index pursuant to paragraph (7)
of subdivision (b) of Section 11170 or subdivision (c) of Section
11170, or persons who have verified with the Department of Justice
that they are listed in the Child Abuse Central Index as provided in
subdivision (g) of Section 11170. Disclosure under this paragraph is
required notwithstanding the California Public Records Act, Chapter
3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the
Government Code. Nothing in this paragraph shall preclude a
submitting agency prior to disclosure from redacting any information
necessary to maintain confidentiality as required by law.
   (12) Out-of-state law enforcement agencies conducting an
investigation of child abuse or neglect only when an agency makes the
request for reports of suspected child abuse or neglect in writing
and on official letterhead, or as designated by the Department of
Justice, identifying the suspected abuser or victim by name and date
of birth or approximate age. The request shall be signed by the
department supervisor of the requesting law enforcement agency. The
written request shall cite the out-of-state statute or interstate
compact provision that requires that the information contained within
these reports is to be disclosed only to law enforcement,
prosecutorial entities, or multidisciplinary investigative teams, and
shall cite the safeguards in place to prevent unlawful disclosure
provided by the requesting state or the applicable interstate compact
provision.
   (13) Out-of-state agencies responsible for approving prospective
foster or adoptive parents for placement of a child only when the
agency makes the request in compliance with the Adam Walsh Child
Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-248). The request
shall also cite the safeguards in place to prevent unlawful
disclosure provided by the requesting state or the applicable
interstate compact provision and indicate that the requesting state
shall maintain continual compliance with the requirement in paragraph
(20) of subdivision (a) of Section 671 of Title 42 of the United
States Code that requires the state have in place safeguards to
prevent the unauthorized disclosure of information in any child abuse
and neglect registry maintained by the state and prevent the
information from being used for a purpose other than the conducting
of background checks in foster or adoptive placement cases.
   (14) Each chairperson of a county child death review team, or his
or her designee, to whom disclosure of information is permitted under
this article, relating to the death of one or more children and any
prior child abuse or neglect investigation reports maintained
involving the same victim, siblings, or suspects. Local child death
review teams may share any relevant information regarding case
reviews involving child death with other child death review teams.
   (c) Authorized persons within county health departments shall be
permitted to receive copies of any reports made by health
practitioners, as defined in paragraphs (21) to (28), inclusive, of
subdivision (a) of Section 11165.7, and pursuant to Section 11165.13,
and copies of assessments completed pursuant to Sections 123600 and
123605 of the Health and Safety Code, to the extent permitted by
federal law. Any information received pursuant to this subdivision is
protected by subdivision (e).
   (d) Nothing in this section requires the Department of Justice to
disclose information contained in records maintained under Section
11170 or under the regulations promulgated pursuant to Section 11174,
except as otherwise provided in this article.
   (e) This section shall not be interpreted to allow disclosure of
any reports or records relevant to the reports of child abuse or
neglect if the disclosure would be prohibited by any other provisions
of state or federal law applicable to the reports or records
relevant to the reports of child abuse or neglect.  

  SEC. 3.    Section 11170 of the Penal Code is
amended to read:
   11170.  (a) (1) The Department of Justice shall maintain an index
of all reports of child abuse and severe neglect submitted pursuant
to Section 11169. The index shall be continually updated by the
department and shall not contain any reports that are determined to
be unfounded. The department may adopt rules governing recordkeeping
and reporting pursuant to this article.
   (2) The department shall act only as a repository of reports of
suspected child abuse and severe neglect to be maintained in the
Child Abuse Central Index pursuant to paragraph (1). The submitting
agencies are responsible for the accuracy, completeness, and
retention of the reports described in this section. The department
shall be responsible for ensuring that the Child Abuse Central Index
accurately reflects the report it receives from the submitting
agency.
   (3) Information from an inconclusive or unsubstantiated report
filed pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 11169 shall be deleted
from the Child Abuse Central Index after 10 years if no subsequent
report concerning the same suspected child abuser is received within
that time period. If a subsequent report is received within that
10-year period, information from any prior report, as well as any
subsequently filed report, shall be maintained on the Child Abuse
Central Index for a period of 10 years from the time the most recent
report is received by the department.
   (b) (1) The Department of Justice shall immediately notify an
agency that submits a report pursuant to Section 11169, or a
prosecutor who requests notification, of any information maintained
pursuant to subdivision (a) that is relevant to the known or
suspected instance of child abuse or severe neglect reported by the
agency. The agency shall make that information available to the
reporting health care practitioner who is treating a person reported
as a possible victim of known or suspected child abuse. The agency
shall make that information available to the reporting child
custodian, guardian ad litem appointed under Section 326, or counsel
appointed under Section 317 or 318 of the Welfare and Institutions
Code, or the appropriate licensing agency, if he or she or the
licensing agency is handling or investigating a case of known or
suspected child abuse or severe neglect.
   (2) When a report is made pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section
11166, or Section 11166.05, the investigating agency, upon completion
of the investigation or after there has been a final disposition in
the matter, shall inform the person required or authorized to report
of the results of the investigation and of any action the agency is
taking with regard to the child or family.
   (3) The Department of Justice shall make available to a law
enforcement agency, county welfare department, or county probation
department that is conducting a child abuse investigation relevant
information contained in the index.
   (4) The department shall make available to the State Department of
Social Services, or to any county licensing agency that has
contracted with the state for the performance of licensing duties, or
to a tribal court or tribal child welfare agency of a tribe or
consortium of tribes that has entered into an agreement with the
state pursuant to Section 10553.1 of the Welfare and Institutions
Code, information regarding a known or suspected child abuser
maintained pursuant to this section and subdivision (a) of Section
11169 concerning any person who is an applicant for licensure or any
adult who resides or is employed in the home of an applicant for
licensure or who is an applicant for employment in a position having
supervisorial or disciplinary power over a child or children, or who
will provide 24-hour care for a child or children in a residential
home or facility, pursuant to Section 1522.1 or 1596.877 of the
Health and Safety Code, or Section 8714, 8802, 8912, or 9000 of the
Family Code.
   (5) The Department of Justice shall make available to a Court
Appointed Special Advocate program that is conducting a background
investigation of an applicant seeking employment with the program or
a volunteer position as a Court Appointed Special Advocate, as
defined in Section 101 of the Welfare and Institutions Code,
information contained in the index regarding known or suspected child
abuse by the applicant.
   (6) For purposes of child death review, the Department of Justice
shall make available to the chairperson, or the chairperson's
designee, for each county child death review team, or the State Child
Death Review Council, information maintained in the Child Abuse
Central Index pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 11170 relating
to the death of one or more children and any prior child abuse or
neglect investigation reports maintained involving the same victims,
siblings, or suspects. Local child death review teams
                          may share any relevant information
regarding case reviews involving child death with other child death
review teams.
   (7) The department shall make available to investigative agencies
or probation officers, or court investigators acting pursuant to
Section 1513 of the Probate Code, responsible for placing children or
assessing the possible placement of children pursuant to Article 6
(commencing with Section 300), Article 7 (commencing with Section
305), Article 10 (commencing with Section 360), or Article 14
(commencing with Section 601) of Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 2 of
the Welfare and Institutions Code, Article 2 (commencing with
Section 1510) or Article 3 (commencing with Section 1540) of Chapter
1 of Part 2 of Division 4 of the Probate Code, information regarding
a known or suspected child abuser contained in the index concerning
any adult residing in the home where the child may be placed, when
this information is requested for purposes of ensuring that the
placement is in the best interest of the child. Upon receipt of
relevant information concerning child abuse or neglect investigation
reports contained in the index from the Department of Justice
pursuant to this subdivision, the agency or court investigator shall
notify, in writing, the person listed in the Child Abuse Central
Index that he or she is in the index. The notification shall include
the name of the reporting agency and the date of the report.
   (8) The Department of Justice shall make available to a government
agency conducting a background investigation pursuant to Section
1031 of the Government Code of an applicant seeking employment as a
peace officer, as defined in Section 830, information regarding a
known or suspected child abuser maintained pursuant to this section
concerning the applicant.
   (9) The Department of Justice shall make available to a county
child welfare agency or delegated county adoption agency, as defined
in Section 8515 of the Family Code, conducting a background
investigation, or a government agency conducting a background
investigation on behalf of one of those agencies, information
regarding a known or suspected child abuser maintained pursuant to
this section and subdivision (a) of Section 11169 concerning any
applicant seeking employment or volunteer status with the agency who,
in the course of his or her employment or volunteer work, will have
direct contact with children who are alleged to have been, are at
risk of, or have suffered, abuse or neglect.
   (10) (A) Persons or agencies, as specified in subdivision (b), if
investigating a case of known or suspected child abuse or neglect, or
the State Department of Social Services or any county licensing
agency pursuant to paragraph (4), or a Court Appointed Special
Advocate program conducting a background investigation for employment
or volunteer candidates pursuant to paragraph (5), or an
investigative agency, probation officer, or court investigator
responsible for placing children or assessing the possible placement
of children pursuant to paragraph (7), or a government agency
conducting a background investigation of an applicant seeking
employment as a peace officer pursuant to paragraph (8), or a county
child welfare agency or delegated county adoption agency conducting a
background investigation of an applicant seeking employment or
volunteer status who, in the course of his or her employment or
volunteer work, will have direct contact which children who are
alleged to have been, are at risk of, or have suffered, abuse or
neglect, pursuant to paragraph (9), to whom disclosure of any
information maintained pursuant to subdivision (a) is authorized, are
responsible for obtaining the original investigative report from the
reporting agency, and for drawing independent conclusions regarding
the quality of the evidence disclosed, and its sufficiency for making
decisions regarding investigation, prosecution, licensing, placement
of a child, employment or volunteer positions with a CASA program,
or employment as a peace officer.
   (B) If Child Abuse Central Index information is requested by an
agency for the temporary placement of a child in an emergency
situation pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section 305) of
Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 2 of the Welfare and Institutions
Code, the department is exempt from the requirements of Section
1798.18 of the Civil Code if compliance would cause a delay in
providing an expedited response to the agency's inquiry and if
further delay in placement may be detrimental to the child.
   (11) (A) Whenever information contained in the Department of
Justice files is furnished as the result of an application for
employment or licensing or volunteer status pursuant to paragraph
(4), (5), (8), or (9), the Department of Justice may charge the
person or entity making the request a fee. The fee shall not exceed
the reasonable costs to the department of providing the information.
The only increase shall be at a rate not to exceed the legislatively
approved cost-of-living adjustment for the department. In no case
shall the fee exceed fifteen dollars ($15).
   (B) All moneys received by the department pursuant to this section
to process trustline applications for purposes of Chapter 3.35
(commencing with Section 1596.60) of Division 2 of the Health and
Safety Code shall be deposited in a special account in the General
Fund that is hereby established and named the Department of Justice
Child Abuse Fund. Moneys in the fund shall be available, upon
appropriation by the Legislature, for expenditure by the department
to offset the costs incurred to process trustline automated child
abuse or neglect system checks pursuant to this section.
   (C) All moneys, other than that described in subparagraph (B),
received by the department pursuant to this paragraph shall be
deposited in a special account in the General Fund which is hereby
created and named the Department of Justice Sexual Habitual Offender
Fund. The funds shall be available, upon appropriation by the
Legislature, for expenditure by the department to offset the costs
incurred pursuant to Chapter 9.5 (commencing with Section 13885) and
Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 13890) of Title 6 of Part 4, and
the DNA and Forensic Identification Data Base and Data Bank Act of
1998 (Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 295) of Title 9 of Part 1),
and for maintenance and improvements to the statewide Sexual Habitual
Offender Program and the California DNA offender identification file
(CAL-DNA) authorized by Chapter 9.5 (commencing with Section 13885)
of Title 6 of Part 4 and the DNA and Forensic Identification Data
Base and Data Bank Act of 1998 (Chapter 6 (commencing with Section
295) of Title 9 of Part 1).
   (c) The Department of Justice shall make available to any agency
responsible for placing children pursuant to Article 7 (commencing
with Section 305) of Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 2 of the Welfare
and Institutions Code, upon request, relevant information concerning
child abuse or neglect reports contained in the index, when making a
placement with a responsible relative pursuant to Sections 281.5,
305, and 361.3 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. Upon receipt of
relevant information concerning child abuse or neglect reports
contained in the index from the Department of Justice pursuant to
this subdivision, the agency shall also notify in writing the person
listed in the Child Abuse Central Index that he or she is in the
index. The notification shall include the location of the original
investigative report and the submitting agency. The notification
shall be submitted to the person listed at the same time that all
other parties are notified of the information, and no later than the
actual judicial proceeding that determines placement.
   If Child Abuse Central Index information is requested by an agency
for the placement of a child with a responsible relative in an
emergency situation pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section
305) of Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 2 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code, the department is exempt from the requirements of
Section 1798.18 of the Civil Code if compliance would cause a delay
in providing an expedited response to the child protective agency's
inquiry and if further delay in placement may be detrimental to the
child.
   (d) The department shall make available any information maintained
pursuant to subdivision (a) to out-of-state law enforcement agencies
conducting investigations of known or suspected child abuse or
neglect only when an agency makes the request for information in
writing and on official letterhead, or as designated by the
department, identifying the suspected abuser or victim by name and
date of birth or approximate age. The request shall be signed by the
department supervisor of the requesting law enforcement agency. The
written requests shall cite the out-of-state statute or interstate
compact provision that requires that the information contained within
these reports shall be disclosed only to law enforcement,
prosecutorial entities, or multidisciplinary investigative teams, and
shall cite the safeguards in place to prevent unlawful disclosure of
any confidential information provided by the requesting state or the
applicable interstate compact provision.
   (e) (1) The department shall make available to an out-of-state
agency, for purposes of approving a prospective foster or adoptive
parent in compliance with the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety
Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-248), information regarding a known or
suspected child abuser maintained pursuant to subdivision (a)
concerning the prospective foster or adoptive parent, and any other
adult living in the home of the prospective foster or adoptive
parent. The department shall make that information available only
when the out-of-state agency makes the request indicating that
continual compliance will be maintained with the requirement in
paragraph (20) of subdivision (a) of Section 671 of Title 42 of the
United States Code that requires the state to have in place
safeguards to prevent the unauthorized disclosure of information in
any child abuse and neglect registry maintained by the state and
prevent the information from being used for a purpose other than the
conducting of background checks in foster or adoption placement
cases.
   (2) With respect to any information provided by the department in
response to the out-of-state agency's request, the out-of-state
agency is responsible for obtaining the original investigative report
from the reporting agency, and for drawing independent conclusions
regarding the quality of the evidence disclosed and its sufficiency
for making decisions regarding the approval of prospective foster or
adoptive parents.
   (3) (A) Whenever information contained in the index is furnished
pursuant to this subdivision, the department shall charge the
out-of-state agency making the request a fee. The fee shall not
exceed the reasonable costs to the department of providing the
information. The only increase shall be at a rate not to exceed the
legislatively approved cost-of-living adjustment for the department.
In no case shall the fee exceed fifteen dollars ($15).
   (B) All moneys received by the department pursuant to this
subdivision shall be deposited in the Department of Justice Child
Abuse Fund, established under subparagraph (B) of paragraph (11) of
subdivision (b). Moneys in the fund shall be available, upon
appropriation by the Legislature, for expenditure by the department
to offset the costs incurred to process requests for information
pursuant to this subdivision.
   (f) The department shall make available to any public health
nurse, treating physician or agent thereof, or other health care
practitioner who has delivered or treated a newborn infant,
information regarding any known or suspected child abuser maintained
pursuant to subdivision (a) concerning any parent or primary care
provider of the newborn infant. The public health nurse, treating
physician or agent thereof, or other health care practitioner is
responsible for obtaining the original investigative report from the
reporting agency, and for drawing independent conclusions regarding
the quality of the evidence disclosed and the sufficiency of the
evidence for the purpose of making decisions when evaluating the
necessity for a child welfare risk assessment. If it is determined
that a child welfare risk assessment is appropriate, the public
health nurse, treating physician or agent thereof, or other health
care practitioner shall notify the local child protective services
agency so that a child welfare risk assessment can be conducted.
   (g) (1) Any person may determine if he or she is listed in the
Child Abuse Central Index by making a request in writing to the
Department of Justice. The request shall be notarized and include the
person's name, address, date of birth, and either a social security
number or a California identification number. Upon receipt of a
notarized request, the Department of Justice shall make available to
the requesting person information identifying the date of the report
and the submitting agency. The requesting person is responsible for
obtaining the investigative report from the submitting agency
pursuant to paragraph (11) of subdivision (b) of Section 11167.5.
   (2) No person or agency shall require or request another person to
furnish a copy of a record concerning himself or herself, or
notification that a record concerning himself or herself exists or
does not exist, pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subdivision.
   (h) If a person is listed in the Child Abuse Central Index only as
a victim of child abuse or neglect, and that person is 18 years of
age or older, that person may have his or her name removed from the
index by making a written request to the Department of Justice. The
request shall be notarized and include the person's name, address,
social security number, and date of birth.  
  SEC. 4.    The Department of Justice shall study
the feasibility and value of requiring every person who must register
pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration Act (Chapter 5.5
(commencing with Section 290) of Title 9 of Part 1 of the Penal Code)
to include in the information provided by the person all e-mail
addresses and instant message addresses, all screen names and online
pseudonyms, and all Internet protocol addresses he or she uses, or
intends to use, to communicate over the Internet. The Department of
Justice study shall include a determination of the value and
feasibility of incorporating this information in the Violent Crime
Information Network (VCIN). The Department of Justice shall complete
and publish its report by December 31, 2011.