Sen. Padilla’s bill would require counties to give foster youth parents’ contact information

Senator Padilla presented SB 534 to the Senate Human Services Committee, saying the bill "requires counties to provide foster youth before they turn 18 the last known whereabouts and contact information for their parents and siblings." He said the requirement would expand information young people receive as they leave foster care and help with stability, identity and long-term outcomes.

Ed Howard, senior counsel at the Children's Advocacy Institute at the University of San Diego School of Law, testified in support and said, "Everybody everybody deserves a chance at having a family, especially our former foster children." No witnesses came forward to oppose the bill during the committee hearing.

A committee member moved that the committee concur in the assembly amendments to SB 534. The clerk called the roll and the item was initially recorded and kept on call; the committee later recorded a final vote of 4-0 to report the bill out of committee. The motion read that the "assembly amendments be concurred in." The committee did not record any amendments beyond concurrence in the Assembly changes during this hearing.

Next steps: SB 534 was reported out of the Senate Human Services Committee on a recorded 4-0 vote and will proceed to the next step in the Senate process.