A state Assembly bill that would have bolstered requirements for court workers and social workers when a foster child goes missing was vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday, who said the cost was too high. The bill was sponsored by the Yurok Tribe and championed by Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-San Bernardino). Ramos along with Joe James, chairman of the Yurok tribe, said they were "disappointed and saddened" by the veto in a release.
James noted in the release the disproportionate impacts of the foster care system on people of color and poor children.
"In the spirit of addressing the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People and ending the pipeline from the foster care system to MMIP, we will continue to fight for our children's safety and protection, and for their futures," he said in a prepared statement.
Newsom wrote in a veto memo that the bill would result in estimated, ongoing costs of $10 million from the state's General Fund for the workload of counties and courts.
"With our state facing continuing economic risk and revenue uncertainty, it is important to remain disciplined when considering bills with significant fiscal implications, such as this measure," he wrote.
He also stated in the letter he is directing the California Department of Social Services to work with counties to assess existing protocols and identify any needed improvements.
Assembly Bill 273 involved immediate notification and hearing timelines when a child is missing from foster care. Social workers or probation officers would be directed to "ongoing and intensive due diligence efforts" to find the child and look into the placement of the child. Parents, guardians, tribes and other persons also would have been required to be notified quickly when a worker receives information a child is missing, according to the text of the bill.
Advocates for the bill note higher rates of sex trafficking of foster children and higher rates of Native American children in the foster care system, with runaway children being an ongoing problem. According to vote records on Legiscan, the Legislature widely supported the bill, unanimously passing the final version of the bill through both chambers, with one absence in the Senate.
"When foster children go missing, county practices are routinely out of compliance with both federal and state law, and the minimum California Department of Social Services guidance standards. This carelessness can lead to grave, life-changing, even lethal consequences for children. The potential risk is magnified for Native American children in the system. It is long past due for us to do better by our children," the release states.
Ramos also committed to working with the administration and the bill's sponsors to ensure counties are doing best practices with locating, placing and stabilizing missing foster children. The Alliance for Children's Rights, California Tribal Families Coalition and the Yurok Tribe sponsored the bill.
Sage Alexander can be reached at 707-441-0504.
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