Plain English Breakdown
The official text does not specify which criminal offenses qualify as 'certain offenses' for this exemption.
AB-2126: Criminal Background Exemptions for Foster Youth in Peer Support Roles
This law expands the definition of a peer support specialist to include current or former foster youth and requires an automatic exemption from disqualification for those with certain pre-age-21 criminal convictions if they work only in a peer support role.
What This Bill Does
- Adds current and former foster youth to the definition of a peer support specialist based on their experience with trauma, recovery, and navigating systems.
- Requires the State Department of Social Services to issue an exemption from disqualification for these individuals if they have certain criminal convictions that occurred before age 21.
- Applies this exemption only when the youth will be employed in a peer support capacity rather than a caregiving capacity.
- Removes the requirement for additional evidence showing good character for foster youth who meet these specific criteria.
Who It Names or Affects
- Current or former foster youth convicted of certain offenses before turning 21 years old.
- The State Department of Social Services, which must issue the required exemptions.
- Community care facilities and other licensed programs that employ peer support specialists.
Terms To Know
- Peer Support Specialist
- A person who helps others recover from mental illness or substance use disorder based on their own lived experience, now including foster youth with trauma and system navigation experience.
- Exemption from Disqualification
- An official permission that allows a person to work in a licensed facility even though they have a criminal record that would normally stop them.
Limits and Unknowns
- The exemption only applies if the youth works as a peer support specialist and not in a caregiving capacity.
- The law does not list which specific offenses qualify for this automatic exemption, stating only 'certain offenses' occurred before age 21.