Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services to establish a trustline registry for trustline providers who meet prescribed requirements after submitting an application to the department and undergoing a criminal background check, as specified. Existing law defines a trustline provider as a person 18 years of age or older who provides child care, supervision, or in-home educational or counseling services, and who is not required to be licensed as a child day care facility. Existing law requires the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network to establish and maintain a toll-free line to allow parents, employment agencies, child care referral groups and registries, alternative payment programs, and others to determine if a provider is a trustline applicant or a registered trustline child care provider.

This bill would require the department to to, on or before July 1, 2019, create and make operative a Web-based application process for submitting completed trustline applications to the department, as specified, and to make the Web-based application available to county welfare departments, local child care resource and referral agencies, and employment agencies, among others. The bill would also require the department to to, on or before July 1, 2019, include on its Internet Web site information from the trustline registry, so that consumers may search for and obtain the status of trustline applicants and registered trustline child care providers. The bill would require the Internet Web site to enable consumers to obtain an applicants status by providing the first and last name, and a specified identification number or applicant number of the trustline applicant or registered trustline child care provider. The bill would require the department to to, on or before July 1, 2019, provide consumers with the ability to save in an electronic format, or to print out a document of, the Internet Web site search results for any trustline applicant or registered trustline child care provider, which shall include specified information, including, the department logo, the first and last name of the applicant or provider, his or her status, and the applicant number.

Existing law requires the department to provide the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network with a continually updated record of the trustline applicants, trustline applicants that the department denied, the registered trustline child care providers, and providers whose registration that the department revoked. Existing law provides that a trustline providers registration is considered forfeited under specified conditions, including if the trustline provider fails to maintain a current mailing address with the department.

This bill would require the department to provide the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network with the above-mentioned updated record, at a minimum, on each business day, and would remove failing to maintain a current mailing address as a condition for which a trustline providers registration is considered forfeited. day. The bill would also require a trustline provider to maintain a current mailing address with the department and would authorize the department to forfeit a trustline providers registration for failing to comply with this requirement.

Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services to establish a trustline registry for trustline providers who meet prescribed requirements after submitting an application to the department and undergoing a criminal background check, as specified. Existing law defines a trustline provider as a person 18 years of age or older who provides child care, supervision, or in-home educational or counseling services, and who is not required to be licensed as a child day care facility. Existing law requires the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network to establish and maintain a toll-free line to allow parents, employment agencies, child care referral groups and registries, alternative payment programs, and others to determine if a provider is a trustline applicant or a registered trustline child care provider.

This bill would require the department to create a Web-based application process for submitting completed trustline applications to the department, as specified, and to make the Web-based application available to county welfare departments, local child care resource and referral agencies, and employment agencies, among others. The bill would also require the department to include on its Internet Web site a registry of information from the trustline registry, so that consumers may search and locate obtain the registration status of trustline applicants and registered trustline child care providers. The bill would require the Internet Web site registry to enable consumers to locate the registration obtain an applicants status by providing to the consumer, upon the search, the name, registration number, registration status, and registration expiration date the first and last name, and a specified identification number or applicant number of the trustline applicant or registered trustline child care provider. The bill would require the department to provide consumers with the ability to save in an electronic format, or to print out a document of, the Internet Web site search results for any trustline applicant or registered trustline child care provider, which shall include specified information, including, the department logo, the first and last name of the applicant or provider, his or her status, and the applicant number.

Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services to establish a trustline registry for trustline providers who meet prescribed requirements after submitting an application to the department and undergoing a criminal background check, as specified. Existing law defines a trustline provider as a person 18 years of age or older who provides child care, supervision, or in-home educational or counseling services, and who is not required to be licensed as a child day care facility. Existing law requires the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network to establish and maintain a toll-free line to allow parents, employment agencies, child care referral groups and registries, alternative payment programs, and others to determine if a provider is a trustline applicant or a registered trustline child care provider.

This bill would require the department to create a Web-based application process for submitting completed trustline applications to the department, and to make the Web-based application available to county welfare departments, local child care resource and referral agencies, and employment agencies, among others. The bill would also require the department to include on its Internet Web site a registry of information from the trustline registry, so that consumers may search and locate the registration status of trustline applicants and registered trustline child care providers. The bill would require the Internet Web site registry to enable consumers to locate the registration status by providing to the consumer, upon the search, the name, registration number, registration status, and registration expiration date of the trustline applicant or registered trustline child care provider.

Date of Hearing: May 16, 2018

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 2702

Author:(McCarty) – As Amended Ver:April 30, 2018

Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: No Reimbursable: No

SUMMARY:

This bill requires the Department of Social Services (DSS) to create and make operative by July 1, 2019, a web-based TrustLine application process for submitting TrustLine applications to DSS. The bill also requires DSS to make available to consumers on its internet website, searchable information from its TrustLine registry regarding an applicant’s or provider’s TrustLine status.

FISCAL EFFECT:

1. Onetime costs of $1.1 million (GF) to $1.2 million (GF) to DSS to make the system accessible to all applicants and consumers.
2. Ongoing annual costs of $300,000 to $400,000 to DSS to maintain the system.

COMMENTS:

1. Purpose. According to the author:

By allowing license-exempt child care providers, such as babysitters and nannies, to have access to a web-based TrustLine application, we are accelerating the process of children being in the care of background-checked caregivers. This legislation seeks to support employers who are looking to fill a position, and ensure that qualified applicants are employed in a timely manner.

1. Background. The TrustLine Registry enables parents, guardians, and others to call a toll-free number to determine if a child care provider is listed on the registry; calling this toll-free number is currently the only way to access results from the registry. TrustLine is a registry of license-exempt child care providers who have cleared a criminal background check run by DSS that includes a check of the Child Abuse Central Index (CACI) administered by the attorney general and DOJ’s California Criminal History System, and can involve a check of criminal history records at the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

In order to become registered on TrustLine, applicants for the registry must complete a form, submit fingerprints, and pay a one-time fee to DSS. Applicants living in California are required to submit fingerprints electronically through a technique and technology referred to as Live Scan, which is offered in various locations across the state. Applications must be mailed in or dropped off by individuals, or may be submitted electronically if done with assistance from approved entities. Only providers of subsidized child care have access to the TrustLine web-based application; all others must mail in or drop off their paper application. All agencies and applicants receive their registry results through the mail; providers of subsidized child care may also receive their results through a secured email from the Resource and Referral Network.

The TrustLine background check is required in statute for license-exempt child care providers (babysitters and nannies) that receive state and federal child care subsidies, nanny agencies, transport escort services, ancillary child care centers (i.e. child care at health clubs/gyms), and required by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for on-call transportation services that transport unaccompanied children (e.g., HopSkipDrive).

DSS reports that there are 456,648 people on the TrustLine Registry as of April 13, 2018; of these, 344,170 are cleared and available to provide care, 6,244 are pending, and 106,234 are closed and not able to provide care. In 2017, approximately 15,000 TrustLine applications were received, and approximately 1,600 of those did not receive clearances.

1. Prior Legislation.

AB 753 (Escutia), Chapter 843, Statutes of 1997, transferred the administrative responsibility for TrustLine from DOJ to DSS as of July 1, 1998.

AB 1379 (Baker), Chapter 660, Statutes of 1991, required DOJ to establish a TrustLine registry and required the California Department of Education (CDE) to contract with the Child Care Resource and Referral Network to administer TrustLine.

AB 3961 (Baker), Chapter 1540, Statutes of 1988, established pilot projects in five counties to examine the backgrounds of license-exempt child care providers.  These pilot projects are seen as the precursor to the statewide establishment of TrustLine.

Analysis Prepared by: Jennifer Swenson / APPR. / (916) 319-2081

Date of Hearing: April 24, 2018

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES

Blanca Rubio, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 2702 (

Author:McCarty) – As Amended Ver:April 2, 2018

SUBJECT: Trustline registry.

SUMMARY: Requires the Department of Social Services (DSS) to create a Web-based TrustLine application process and to make available to consumers on its Internet Web site an applicant’s or provider’s TrustLine status, along with other information.

Specifically, this bill:

1. Requires DSS to, through a competitive bidding process, contract with a single live scan fingerprinting service provider certified by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to provide secure, electronic fingerprint scanning services throughout California at locations identified by DSS and further, permits any individual to use these services and requires the selected provider to submit fingerprints to DOJ by electronic transmission, as specified.
2. Requires DSS to create a Web-based application process for submitting completed TrustLine applications to DSS and that also allows all of the following:
   1. Submission of a criminal record statement;
   2. Payment of required TrustLine application fees, including the ability to submit one payment for multiple applications; and
   3. Submission of documents and a signed declaration required by current law for the transfer of a criminal record clearance, as specified.
3. Requires DSS to make the Web-based application process available to county welfare departments, local child care resource and referral agencies, alternative payment programs, and a number of other specified entities, along with any other entity authorized by DSS.
4. Requires DSS to include on its Internet Web site information from the TrustLine registry, as specified, enabling consumers to search and obtain the status of TrustLine applicants and registered TrustLine child care providers using the following information: the first and last name of the applicant or registered provider; and either the individual’s driver’s license or other specified identification number, or the TrustLine applicant number assigned by DSS.
5. Requires the status on the Internet Web site to indicate one of the following: TrustLine applicant; registered TrustLine child care provider; closed; or incomplete.
6. Requires DSS to provide consumers with the ability to electronically save, or to print out a document of, the search results for any TrustLine applicant or registered TrustLine child care provider and stipulates certain information that must be included on this electronic file or printed document, including, among other things, the applicant’s or registered provider’s name and status, registration date for a registered provider, a description of the TrustLine registry, and a toll-free number for obtaining more information about TrustLine or the status of an application, as specified.
7. Prohibits DSS from providing any additional, individually identifiable information about TrustLine applicants and registered TrustLine child care providers on the Internet Web site other than the information specified by provisions of this bill.
8. Deletes provisions of current law stipulating that a TrustLine provider’s failure to maintain a current mailing address with DSS will result in required forfeiture of that provider’s registration.
9. Stipulates that fulfillment of the requirement in current law that DSS provide the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network with a continually updated record of the status of TrustLine applicants and registered providers, as specified, must occur on each business day, at the least.
10. Makes technical changes.

EXISTING LAW:

1. Directs DSS to establish and continuously update a TrustLine registry containing information on license-exempt child care providers who have submitted TrustLine background-check information and who have undergone the specified background check. (HSC 1596.60 et seq.)
2. Requires each person initiating a background examination to be a TrustLine provider to submit an application to DSS (either directly or via a local child care resource and referral agency) and to either, with certain exemptions and as specified:
   1. Obtain two sets of fingerprints from a law enforcement agency or other local agency on a fingerprint card authorized by DOJ and submit the fingerprints; or
   2. Send his or her fingerprints to DOJ by electronic transmission in a manner approved by DSS. (HSC 1596.603 (a))
3. Requires DSS, upon receipt, to transmit the fingerprint card and copy of the application to DOJ and further, requires DOJ to use the fingerprints and application to search the state and Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal history information and the state Child Abuse Central Index (CACI), as specified. (HSC 1596.603 (c))
4. Establishes, for a person who is a current licensee or employee in a facility licensed by DSS, a process for transfer of a criminal record clearance, as specified. (HSC 1596.603 (d))
5. Stipulates conditions under which a TrustLine provider’s registration must be considered forfeited, including, among other conditions, that a TrustLine provider fails to maintain a current mailing address with DSS. (HSC 1596.608 (b))
6. Requires DSS to provide the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network with a continually updated record of the TrustLine applicants, TrustLine applicants that the department denied, the registered TrustLine child care providers, and providers whose registration the department has revoked. (HSC 1596.62 (b))
7. Requires the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network to, as specified:
   1. Establish and maintain a toll-free line to enable individuals to determine if a provider is a TrustLine applicant or registered TrustLine child care provider;
   2. Develop a statewide promotion plan and publicize information regarding TrustLine, and distribute TrustLine applications statewide;
   3. Monitor and provide assistance to child care resource and referral agencies regarding carrying out their TrustLine responsibilities;
   4. Seek private financial support for TrustLine; and
   5. Ensure that TrustLine is accessible to everyone in the state, regardless of English proficiency. (HSC 1596.643)

FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown.

COMMENTS:

License-exempt child care: The licensure and operation of child day care centers and family day care homes is governed by the California Child Day Care Facilities Act (Health and Safety Code Sections 1596.70 through 1596.895, 1596.90 through 1597.21, and 1597.30 through 1597.622). Along with attendant regulations located in Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations, the Act establishes general health and safety requirements, provider training requirements, and staff-to-child ratios. DSS’s Community Care Licensing Division (CCLD) licenses and oversees the state’s licensed child care facilities. These include, as of June 30, 2017, 10,499 day care centers (with the capacity to serve 596,551 children) and 28,679 family day care homes (with the capacity to serve 298,026 children).

Child care, however, is not always provided in licensed day care facilities; many families rely on family, friends, or neighbors to look after and care for their children. Families that access care through the state’s subsidized child care system may, in certain cases, be given vouchers to obtain child care. These vouchers can be used to obtain care from family, friends, or neighbors – referred to as “license-exempt” providers – so long as the providers first undergo and pass a background clearance by registering with TrustLine, a registry (described below) used by CCLD to verify an individual’s history. The California Department of Education (CDE) reports that, as of April 2017, 34,161 children received subsidized child care from a license-exempt provider; this included: 192 children receiving care in their own homes from a relative, 25 receiving care in their own home from a nonrelative, 20,627 receiving care outside of their home from a relative, 6,865 receiving care outside of their home from a non-relative, and 6,452 receiving licensed-exempt center-based care.

TrustLine: The TrustLine Registry enables parents, guardians, and others to call a toll-free number to determine if a child care provider is listed on the registry; calling this toll-free number (or, in much rarer instances, contacting CCLD’s Caregiver Background Check Bureau) is currently the only way to access results from the registry. TrustLine is a registry of license-exempt child care providers who have cleared a criminal background check run by DSS that includes a check of the Child Abuse Central Index (CACI) administered by the Attorney General and DOJ’s California Criminal History System, and can involve a check of criminal history records at the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Individuals registered on TrustLine do not have either of the following: disqualifying criminal convictions or substantiated reports of child abuse found on CACI. The possible statuses that could be obtained regarding a child care provider who has applied for inclusion on the registry include: TrustLine Pending/Applicant, TrustLine/Registered, Closed, or Incomplete. A “Closed” status can result due to these circumstances: an individual was previously active but then became inactive due to voluntary removal from the registry; an individual was previously active but then became inactive due to involuntary removal as a result of a subsequent arrest or conviction; an incomplete application was never completed; registry forfeiture due to actions taken against an individual by CCLD.

In order to become registered on TrustLine, applicants for the registry must complete a form, submit fingerprints, and pay a one-time fee to DSS. Applicants living in California are required to submit fingerprints electronically through a technique and technology referred to as Live Scan, which is offered in various locations across the state. (Out-of-state applicants are permitted to mail in fingerprint cards to DOJ.) Applications must be mailed in or dropped off by individuals, or may be submitted electronically if done with assistance from approved entities, which include resource and referral agencies. Currently, only providers of subsidized child care may use the option of assistance-facilitated online application; all others must mail in or drop off their paper application. Prospective TrustLine providers receive their registry results through the mail; providers of subsidized child care may also receive their results through a secured email from the Resource and Referral Network.

Anyone can apply to be registered on TrustLine, but some providers of child care or individuals who otherwise provide services for children are required to register. These include: license-exempt providers of subsidized child care (described earlier), individuals transporting or accompanying minors via transport escort services, child care providers referred by nanny and babysitter placement agencies, and child care providers who are 18 or older and working at ancillary child care centers (i.e., centers serving clients or customers of businesses, such as in gym child care centers). Additionally, the California Public Utilities Commission requires transport network companies (passenger carriers) that transport minors (e.g., HopSkipDrive) to ensure that their drivers are registered with TrustLine.

DSS reports that there are 456,648 people on the TrustLine Registry as of April 13, 2018; of these, 344,170 are cleared and available to provide care, 6,244 are pending, and 106,234 are closed and not able to provide care. In 2017, approximately 15,000 TrustLine applications were received, and approximately 1,600 of those did not receive clearances. In 2016, approximately 16,000 applications were received, with about 2,000 of those not receiving clearances.

Need for this bill: According to the author, “By allowing license-exempt child care providers, such as babysitters and nannies, to have access to a web-based TrustLine application, we are accelerating the process of children being in the care of background-checked caregivers. This legislation seeks to support employers who are looking to fill a position, and ensure that qualified applicants are employed in a timely manner.”

Recommended amendments: In order to make clear that the modes of TrustLine application and inquiry proposed by this bill supplement, versus supplant, current modes of application and inquiry, to provide additional information for parents and others accessing the registry online, to preserve the requirement that registered providers maintain a current address with DSS but to allow DSS flexibility in determining whether failure to do so shall result in a forfeiture of registration, and to allow additional time for implementation of the provisions of this bill, committee staff recommends the following amendments to the bill:

1. Make the following amendments beginning on line 4 of page 4 of the bill:

P4    1

punishable in the same manner as provided under Section

2

1596.890.

3

(e) 

4

(f) (1) The department shall create and make operative, on or before July 1, 2019, a Web-based application

5

process for submitting completed trustline applications to the

6

department, and department that also allows for all of the

7

following:

8

(A) The submission of a criminal record statement.

9

(B) The payment of required trustline application fees, which

10

shall include the option for submitting multiple applications with

11

one payment transaction for all applications.

12

(C) For an applicant who is eligible to transfer his or her

13

criminal record clearance pursuant to subdivision (e), the

14

submission of the applicant’s completed trustline application, a

15

copy of his or her identification card described in Section

16

1596.601, and an electronically signed declaration verifying the

17

applicant’s identity.

18

(2) The department shall make the Web-based application

19

process available to county welfare departments, local child care

20

resource and referral agencies, alternative payment programs,

21

employment agencies, transport escort services, ancillary child

22

care centers, entities required by the Public Utilities Commission

23

to be in use the trustline registry, and any other entity authorized

24

by the department.

(3) Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to limit the ability of an individual to submit a trustline application through other forms and means accepted by the department, including on paper via hand delivery or through the U.S. mail.

1. Make the following amendments beginning on line 29 of page 4 of the bill:

27

1596.606.   (a) The department shall include on its Internet Web

28

site a registry of information from the trustline registry established

29

pursuant to Section 1596.605, so that consumers may search for and

30

locate obtain the registration status of trustline applicants and

31

registered trustline child care providers. The Internet Web site

32

registry shall enable consumers to locate the registration obtain

33

the status by providing all of the following information to the

34

consumer upon the search of a trustline the first and last name of

35

the applicant or registered trustline child care provider: provider,

36

and either his or her identification number on the identification

37

card described in Section 1596.601 or trustline applicant number

38

assigned by the department. The status outcome of the search provided on the Internet

39

Web site shall show one of the following statuses:

40

(1) Full name.

P5    1

(2) Registration number.

2

(3) Registration status.

3

(4) Registration expiration date.

4

(1) Trustline applicant.

5

(2) Registered trustline child care provider.

6

(3) Closed.

7

(4) Incomplete.

8

(b) The department shall provide consumers with the ability to

9

save in an electronic format, or to print out a document of, the

10

search results for any trustline applicant or registered trustline

11

child care provider, which shall include all of the following

12

information:

13

(1) The department logo.

14

(2) The first and last name of the trustline applicant or

15

registered trustline child care provider.

16

(3) The trustline application number assigned by the department.

17

(4) The identification number of the identification card described

18

in Section 1596.601, if provided by the consumer.

19

(5) The status of the trustline applicant or registered trustline

20

child care provider.

21

(6) (A) For a registered trustline child care provider, the

22

registration date.

23

(B) For an applicant with a closed status, the closed date and

24

the following statement: “There are a number of reasons a

25

TrustLine application may be closed. Please contact TrustLine at

26

1-800-822-8490 for more information.”

27

(7) A description of the trustline registry, including a definition of each possible status that might result from the search of an individual.

28

(8) The following statement: “For more information about

29

TrustLine or questions regarding the status of an application,

30

please call 1-800-822-8490.”

31

(b)

32

(c) The department shall not provide any additional, individually

33

identifiable information about trustline applicants and registered

34

trustline child care providers on the Internet Web site registry other

35

than the information specified in subdivision (a). subdivisions (a)

36

and (b).

(d) Nothing in this section shall be construed to remove the responsibility of the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network to establish and maintain a toll-free line pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of section 1596.643 to enable individuals to determine if a provider is a trustline applicant or a registered trustline child care provider.

(e) This section shall become operative on or before July 1, 2019.

3) Insert the following after line 23 on page 6 of the bill:

13

(b)  The trustline provider’s registration shall be considered

14

forfeited under either of the following conditions:

15

(1)  The trustline provider has had a license or certificate of

16

approval revoked, suspended, or denied denied, as authorized under

17

Section 1534, 1550, 1568.082, 1569.50, or 1596.885.

18

(2)  The trustline provider has been denied employment,

19

residence, or presence in a facility based on action resulting from

20

an administrative hearing pursuant to Section 1558, 1568.092,

21

1569.58, or 1596.8897.

22

(3)  The trustline provider fails to maintain a current mailing

23

address with the department.

(c) A trustline provider is required to maintain a current mailing address with the department.

(1) The department may forfeit a trustline provider’s registration for failing to comply with the requirement established by this subdivision.

PRIOR LEGISLATION:

AB 753 (Escutia), Chapter 843, Statutes of 1997, transferred the administrative responsibility for TrustLine from DOJ to DSS as of July 1, 1998.

AB 1379 (Baker), Chapter 660, Statutes of 1991, required DOJ to establish a TrustLine registry and required CDE to contract with the Child Care Resource and Referral Network to administer TrustLine.

AB 3961 (Baker), Chapter 1540, Statutes of 1988, established pilot projects in five counties to examine the backgrounds of license-exempt child care providers.  These pilot projects are seen as the precursor to the statewide establishment of TrustLine.

AB 3608 (Agnos), Chapter 1496, Statutes of 1986, allowed parents and guardians to request a background examination of child care providers.

REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:

Support

California Alternative Payment Program Association

California Child Care Resource and Referral Network, sponsor

Child Action Inc.

Child Development Resources of Ventura County

Opposition

None on file.

Analysis Prepared by: Daphne Hunt / HUM. S. / (916) 319-2089