Bill Text: CA Assembly Bill 73 - 2011-2012 Regular Session State legislator pushes for historic public access to juvenile dependency courts statewide

Bill Text: CA Assembly Bill 73 - 2011-2012 Regular Session | eLobbyist
Let's get ALL States Moving on this Bill!!!!
California AB73
CA Legislature Home Page for AB73 - PermaLink

Public Commentary
SummarySponsorsTextsVotesHistorical
Other Bill Drafts: Introduced
BILL NUMBER: AB 73 INTRODUCED
BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Feuer

DECEMBER 21, 2010

An act relating to juveniles.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 73, as introduced, Feuer. Dependency proceedings: public
access.
Existing law provides that the public shall not be admitted to a
juvenile court hearing in a dependency proceeding, unless requested
by a parent or guardian and consented to or requested by the minor
concerning whom the petition has been filed. Existing law permits the
judge or referee to admit those persons as he or she deems to have a
direct and legitimate interest in the particular case or the work of
the court.
This bill would express the intent of the Legislature to enact
legislation to provide that juvenile court hearings in juvenile
dependency cases shall be presumptively open to the public, unless
the court finds that admitting the public would not be in a child's
best interest. The bill would also include a statement of legislative
findings and declarations.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.


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

SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
(a) Many states increasingly permit or require public access to
juvenile court hearings in juvenile dependency cases involving abuse
and neglect.
(b) Pursuant to Section 346 of the Welfare and Institutions Code,
California is currently among the states that require that all
proceedings in juvenile dependency matters be closed to the public,
except under specified circumstances.
(c) Public access to juvenile court hearings has the benefit of
ensuring that the child welfare system can be held more accountable,
and of educating the public about the needs of the child welfare
system.
(d) Children's privacy rights can be protected by ensuring that
juvenile court judges have the discretion to close individual
hearings based on the circumstances of the cases and the needs and
best interests of specific children while presumptively ensuring
those proceedings are open and transparent.
SEC. 2. It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation
to provide that juvenile court hearings in juvenile dependency cases
shall be presumptively open to the public unless the court finds that
admitting the public would not be in a child's best interest.