Children.

(1) Existing law establishes a procedure for a stepparent to adopt a stepchild and requires a probation officer, qualified court investigator, licensed clinical social worker, licensed marriage and family therapist, or licensed adoption agency to conduct an investigation of the proposed stepparent adoption, as specified. This bill would provide that if the petitioner does not request that a licensed clinical social worker, therapist, or private adoption agency complete the investigation, the court may collect the investigation fee and assign a probation officer, court investigator, or, if so authorized by the county board of supervisors, the county welfare department to complete the investigation. (2) Existing law prohibits a peace officer from taking into temporary custody, without a warrant, a minor who is in a hospital if specified conditions exist, including that the minor is a newborn who tested positive for illegal drugs or whose birth mother tested positive for illegal drugs or the minor is the subject of a proposed adoption and a Health Facility Minor Release Report has been completed by the hospital, as specified. This bill would require the appropriate hospital personnel to complete a Health Facility Minor Release Report and provide copies to specified parties upon request by a parent. (3) Existing law authorizes specified persons to inspect a juvenile case file, including a court-appointed investigator who is actively participating in a guardianship case involving a minor, as specified, and acting within the scope of his or her duties in that case. This bill would additionally permit a statutorily authorized or court-appointed investigator who is conducting specified investigations relating to children, including stepparent adoptions, to inspect a juvenile case file. (4) This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 827 of the Welfare and Institutions Code proposed by AB 1945 that would become operative if this bill and AB 1945 are chaptered and this bill is chaptered last.