Court fees: name changes: exemption.

Existing law establishes the procedure for a person to change his or her name. When a proceeding for a change of name is commenced by the filing of a petition, existing law requires the court to issue an order reciting the filing of the petition, the name of the person by whom it is filed, and the name proposed. Existing law provides that if a petition for a change of name establishes that the petitioner is an active participant in an address confidentiality program, as specified, and the petition alleges the reason for the change of name is to avoid domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault, the action for a change of name is exempt from this publication requirement. This bill would add avoiding human trafficking as a reason to exempt an action for a change of name from the publication requirement. The bill would prohibit a court from charging a minor a court fee for a proceeding for a change of name if the action is exempt from the publication requirement. The bill would name this prohibition "Sydney's Law."