Child support: access to information.

(1) Existing law creates the California Parent Locator Service and Central Registry, which is required to collect and disseminate specified information with respect to any parent, putative parent, spouse, or former spouse. Under existing law, the California Child Support Automation System, the California Parent Locator Service and Central Registry, and the Franchise Tax Board are authorized to receive that information from all state departments, boards, agencies, and bureaus. In addition, local child support agencies are entitled to receive that information from those state departments, boards, agencies, and bureaus. This bill would require all state departments, boards, agencies, bureaus, or other agencies of the state, or any of its political subdivisions, to provide information to county child welfare agencies and county probation departments for use in identifying, locating, and notifying the parents of children who are in juvenile court proceedings, as well as for use in establishing parent and child relationships and in assessing the appropriateness of placing the child with a noncustodial parent. By imposing new requirements on cities and counties, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Under existing law, child and spousal support records are confidential, subject to certain exceptions. Existing law authorizes a public entity to disclose specified child and spousal support enforcement records for use in administrative, civil, and criminal investigations, actions, proceedings, and prosecutions for child and spousal support enforcement. Existing law authorizes a public entity to release an absent parent's social security number, most recent address, and place of employment to an authorized person, as defined, if the information has been provided to the California Parent Locator Service by the federal Parent Locator Service and the authorized person has filed a request for the information. This bill would authorize the release of a parent's name, social security number, most recent address, telephone number, place of employment, or other contact information to county child welfare agencies and county probation departments that administer federal programs for foster care and child and family services. The bill would require the State Department of Social Services and Department of Child Support Services to issue, by July 1, 2013, an all-county letter or similar instruction explaining that county child welfare agencies and probation departments are entitled to specified information contained in child and spousal support records. The bill would also require that the information exchange between the California Parent Locator Service or the California Child Support Automation System and the county child welfare agency be done through automated processes to the extent feasible. This bill would also make related findings and declarations. 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 these statutory provisions.