CA AB2538

Amends criminal exclusion rules for In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) providers by requiring the Department of Social Services to request criminal records from either the county welfare department or public authority (previously only county welfare department).

Establishes a 10-year criminal exclusion period for applicants convicted of violent or serious felonies, sex offenses requiring registration, or specified felony offenses, with exceptions for those with certificates of rehabilitation or dismissed charges.

Creates an individual waiver process allowing service recipients to employ excluded providers by submitting a signed waiver form to the county, with the provider then authorized to work only for that specific recipient.

Permits applicants to request a general exception from the department, which must evaluate rehabilitation factors including employment history, time elapsed since conviction, evidence of rehabilitation, and employer recommendations.

Declares the act an urgency statute effective immediately and requires emergency regulations to be adopted by July 1, 2011.