Juveniles: dependency: incarcerated parent.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill's text and summary do not provide specific details about the effective date or exact costs, leaving some uncertainty.

Juveniles: Dependency Hearings with Incarcerated Parents

This law requires incarcerated parents to have notice and an opportunity to attend or participate by videoconference in certain dependency hearings about their children, and it extends similar rights to nonminor dependents.

What This Bill Does

• Requires notice of and the opportunity for an incarcerated parent to be physically present at specified additional dependency hearings related to their child.
• Allows an incarcerated parent who waives the right to be physically present to participate in those proceedings by videoconference if available, or teleconferencing if not.
• Expands existing provisions that allow minors to be notified of and given a chance to attend juvenile court hearings to include nonminor dependents.

Who It Names or Affects

• Incarcerated parents whose children are involved in dependency proceedings.
• Local county jails and their officials who must help with videoconferencing or teleconferencing for these hearings.
• Nonminor dependents who have the right to be notified of and attend juvenile court hearings.

Terms To Know

dependency hearings

Legal proceedings in which a judge decides if a child needs help from the government because their parents cannot take care of them properly.

nonminor dependents

Young adults who were once under the protection of the juvenile court system and still receive some support or services from it.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill imposes new duties on local county jails, which may require additional resources.
• It is unclear how much this will cost local agencies until a mandate review by the Commission on State Mandates.
• The effective date of the law has not been specified.

Official Summary Text

AB 651, Bryan.
Juveniles: dependency: incarcerated parent.
Existing law requires notice of, and the opportunity for an incarcerated parent to be physically present in, proceedings terminating their parental rights or seeking to adjudicate the child of a prisoner a dependent child of the court. Existing law prohibits these proceedings from being adjudicated without the physical presence of the parent unless the court receives a knowing waiver from the parent of their right to be physically present at the proceedings, or an affidavit signed by a person in charge of the incarcerating institution that the prisoner does not intend to appear at the proceeding. Existing law authorizes, in the court’s discretion, an incarcerated parent who has waived the right to be physically present at those proceedings to be given the opportunity to participate in the proceeding by videoconference, if that technology is available. Existing law authorizes, if
videoconferencing technology is not available, the use of teleconferencing.
This bill would also require notice of, and the opportunity for an incarcerated parent to be physically present in, specified additional dependency hearings relating to their child. The bill would additionally require an incarcerated parent who has waived the right to be physically present to be given the opportunity to participate in those proceedings by videoconference, and, if videoconferencing technology is not available, require the use of teleconferencing. By increasing the duties of local county jail officials, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
Existing law entitles a minor who is the subject of a juvenile court hearing to be present at that hearing and specifies that the minor has the right to be represented at the hearing by counsel of
their choice. Existing law requires the court to inform the minor, if the minor is present at the hearing, of their right to address the court and participate in the hearing. Existing law requires the court, if the minor is 10 years of age or older and not present at the hearing, to determine whether the minor was properly notified of their right to attend the hearing and inquire whether they were given an opportunity to attend. Existing law generally requires the court to continue the hearing to allow the minor to be present, if they were not properly notified or if they wished to present, but were not given the opportunity. Existing law requires the court to continue the hearing only for the period of time necessary to provide the child notice and secure their presence.
This bill would expand the above provisions to include nonminor dependents.
The California Constitution requires
the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF