LAAC's 2009 legislative advocacy is getting underway. We are reviewing a number of bills and will let you know about our positions on them in the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, here is a list of the bills we are currently looking at:

Legal Services Bill - AB 590 (Feuer)

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/postquery?bill_number=ab_590&sess=CUR&house=B&author=feuer

AB 590 establishes a pilot project to provide a right to counsel for low-income people in critical civil cases.

Court Interpreters - AB 663 (Jones)

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/postquery?bill_number=ab_663&sess=CUR&house=B&author=jones

AB 663 establishes a pilot project to provide interpreters in civil proceedings.

Additional Judgeships - SB 377 (Corbett)

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/postquery?bill_number=sb_377&sess=CUR&house=B&author=corbett

SB 377 authorizes 50 critically-needed new judgeships for California courts.

Foster Care Bills (implementing recommendations from the Blue Ribbon Commission on Foster Care):

AB 12 (Beall and Bass) would ensure that California maximizes its use of federal funds to support children leaving foster care to be cared for by a relative guardian, and to provide foster-care support for youth ages 18 to 21, just as a parent would provide support.

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/postquery?bill_number=ab_12&sess=CUR&house=B&author=beall

AB 938 (Judiciary) will ensure that grandparents and other relatives of foster children are identified and notified when a child is removed so that they can provide support and possible placements.

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/postquery?bill_number=ab_938&sess=CUR&house=B&author=committee_on_judiciary

AB 131 (Evans) would have parents who are able to pay for their representation in the dependency system cover the costs.

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/postquery?bill_number=ab_131&sess=CUR&house=B&author=evans