SB 1421 California Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

California Child and Family Service Review System: nonminor dependents.

Summary

Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services to establish the California Child and Family Service Review System in order to review all county child welfare systems, including child protective services, foster care, adoption, family preservation, family support, and independent living. Existing law requires the review system outcome indicators to be consistent with the federal child and family service review measures and standards for child and family outcomes and system factors, as specified. This bill would require the review system to include data measures related to utilization of programs for nonminor dependents that are designed to reduce poverty, and would require the department to conduct a comprehensive review of county performance on those measures, as specified.

Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Jul 2026

Senate Passage

May 2026

Assembly Passage

Aug 2026

Governor

Introduced Feb 20, 2026 Last action Aug 28, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

08/13/26 - Amended Assembly → SB1421 · 2 edits

MINOR

The final enrolled version of SB 1421 narrows the scope of data measures required for nonminor dependents in the California Child and Family Service Review System. Specifically, it removes 'increase postsecondary education' from the stated purpose of those measures (leaving only 'reduce poverty') and deletes the foster youth tax credit as a named example program to be tracked.

Scope change

The bill's scope narrowed slightly: it no longer explicitly requires tracking a tax credit program and no longer frames the nonminor dependent measures as serving a dual purpose of poverty reduction and postsecondary education advancement.

SCOPE

The purpose clause in subdivision (m) was narrowed from 'designed to reduce poverty and increase postsecondary education' to simply 'designed to reduce poverty.' This reframes what the data measures are intended to accomplish, though FAFSA and postsecondary enrollment remain as example programs.

REQUIREMENT

The foster youth tax credit (Section 17052.2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code) was removed from the list of specific programs that must be included in the review system's data measures. The remaining named examples are FAFSA completion and enrollment in postsecondary or vocational education.

03/26/26 - Amended Senate → 08/13/26 - Amended Assembly · 4 edits · Aug 13, 2026

MODERATE

The Assembly amended SB 1421 by removing the entire proposed amendment to Welfare and Institutions Code Section 16504, which had established requirements for initial intake, 24-hour response systems, and in-person responses for children reported to be endangered by abuse or neglect. The bill now focuses solely on amending Section 10601.2 (the California Child and Family Service Review System). Additionally, the Assembly expanded the scope of the comprehensive county review to explicitly include nonminor dependent data measures, and added 'poverty' as an additional tracked outcome in subdivision (m).

SCOPE

The entire proposed amendment to Section 16504 was removed. This section had required counties to provide initial intake and evaluation of risk services to children reported as endangered, maintain a 24-hour response system, make immediate in-person responses in emergencies, conduct in-person responses for referrals under Section 11254 within 20 days, allow nonminor dependents to be evaluated for safety in foster care placements, and permit voluntary services without substantiation of abuse allegations.

Subdivision (m) added 'poverty' as an additional outcome after 'postsecondary education,' expanding the data measures related to programs for nonminor dependents from those designed to 'reduce poverty and increase postsecondary education' to also explicitly track poverty outcomes separately.

REQUIREMENT

Subdivision (j)(3) was changed so that the department's comprehensive review of county performance (conducted at least once every five years) now explicitly includes the measures in subdivision (m), which covers nonminor dependent program utilization data. Previously it only referenced paragraph (1) measures.

FISCAL

The fiscal committee vote in the legislative counsel's digest changed from 'no' to 'yes,' indicating the Assembly determined the bill has fiscal implications requiring fiscal committee review.

02/20/26 - Introduced → 03/26/26 - Amended Senate · 5 edits · Mar 26, 2026

MODERATE

The amended bill significantly expands its scope by adding a new section amending Section 10601.2 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, which governs the California Child and Family Service Review System. The most important new provision requires the review system to include data measures on nonminor dependent utilization of poverty-reduction and postsecondary education programs (such as the foster youth tax credit and FAFSA), and requires a comprehensive departmental review of county performance on those measures. The original technical amendments to Section 16504 remain but are now secondary to this new policy content.

Scope change

The bill expanded from a purely technical, nonsubstantive amendment to Section 16504 (child welfare intake procedures) to also include substantive new requirements in Section 10601.2 mandating that the state's child welfare review system track and evaluate county performance on nonminor dependent poverty-reduction and education programs.

SCOPE

The bill now amends Section 10601.2 (California Child and Family Service Review System) in addition to Section 16504, substantially broadening the bill's reach from a narrow technical fix to a major policy change affecting how counties are evaluated.

REQUIREMENT

New subdivision (m) of Section 10601.2 requires the Child and Family Service Review System to include data measures related to utilization of programs for nonminor dependents designed to reduce poverty and increase postsecondary education, specifically naming the foster youth tax credit (Section 17052.2 Revenue and Taxation Code) and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Subdivision (j)(3) of Section 10601.2 was amended so that the department's comprehensive review of county performance (conducted at least once every five years) now must cover both the existing federal outcome measures AND the new nonminor dependent data measures in subdivision (m).

FISCAL

The legislative counsel's digest changed the fiscal committee designation from 'no' to 'yes,' indicating the bill now has fiscal implications requiring fiscal committee review, likely due to the new data collection and reporting requirements.

TECHNICAL

Section 16504 received minor technical corrections: removed redundant words ('Any A child' became 'A child'; 'when if' became 'if'; 'whenever if' became 'if'), and corrected an erroneous cross-reference from Section 11403 to Section 11400.

Floor votes · Senate May 22, 2026 · Assembly Aug 27, 2026

How they voted

33–0

Passed · 7 other

Total votes 40

May 22, 2026

D Democratic30

25 Yea 5

83% Yea

R Republican10

8 Yea 2

80% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Aug 28, 2026

Upper · Passed

Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 39. Noes 0.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

upper

Aug 28, 2026

Introduced

In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

upper

Aug 27, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate.

lower

Aug 13, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

lower

Aug 13, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (August 13).

lower

Jul 1, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

lower

Jun 1, 2026

Committee

Referred to Com. on HUM. S.

lower

May 22, 2026

Upper · Passed

Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 33. Noes 0. Page 4422.) Ordered to the Assembly.

upper

May 14, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 4276.) (May 14).

upper

Apr 21, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 4. Noes 0. Page 3956.) (April 20). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

upper

Mar 26, 2026

Upper · Passed

From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on HUMAN S.

upper

Mar 4, 2026

Committee

Referred to Com. on HUMAN S.

upper

Feb 20, 2026

Introduced

Introduced. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors