SB 213 Summary

• Prohibits final approval for adoptive placements, child placements with relatives or non-licensed caregivers, and foster care provider licensing if the person has felony convictions for specified serious crimes including child abuse, sexual offenses, violence, and crimes against individuals specified in Penal Code Section 667.5.

• Establishes a criminal records exemption process allowing placement or licensure for persons convicted of eligible misdemeanors (within 5 years) or felonies (within 7 years) if the department or county has substantial and convincing evidence the person is of present good character, considering factors like nature of crime, time elapsed, rehabilitation, and successful probation completion.

• Requires counties seeking to grant criminal record exemptions for relative or nonrelative extended family member placements to request permission from the State Department of Social Services and must evaluate exemption requests using the same criteria as foster care licensing under Health and Safety Code Section 1522.

• Mandates criminal records checks through CLETS and fingerprint clearance checks through the Department of Justice for all persons over 18 in the home prior to child placement, with checks of the Child Abuse Central Index and consideration of state and federal criminal history.

• Requires the State Department of Social Services to convene a stakeholder group to develop recommendations for streamlining the criminal exemption process for prospective employees in children's residential settings with relevant lived experience.