(a) Notwithstanding any other law, a tribal agency may request from the Department of Justice state and federal level summary criminal history information for the purpose of approving a tribal home for the placement of an Indian child into foster or adoptive care.

(b) A tribal agency shall submit to the Department of Justice fingerprint images and related information required by the Department of Justice of an individual applying with the tribal agency as a prospective foster parent or adoptive parent, any adult who resides or is employed in the home of an applicant, any person who has a familial or intimate relationship with any person living in the home of an applicant, or employee of the child welfare agency who may have contact with a child, for the purposes of obtaining information as to the existence and content of a record of state or federal convictions and state or federal arrests and also information as to the existence and content of a record of state or federal arrests for which the Department of Justice establishes that the person is released on bail or on his or her own recognizance pending trial or appeal.

(c) Upon receipt of a request for federal summary criminal history information received pursuant to this section, the Department of Justice shall forward the request to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Department of Justice shall review the information returned from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and compile and disseminate a response to the requesting tribal child welfare agency.

(d) The Department of Justice shall provide a state and federal level response to a tribal child welfare agency pursuant to subdivision (m) of Section 11105 of the Penal Code.

(e) A tribal agency shall request from the Department of Justice subsequent notification service pursuant to Section 11105.2 for persons described in subdivision (b) of this section.

(f) The Department of Justice may charge a fee sufficient to cover the reasonable and appropriate costs of processing the request pursuant to this section.

(g) As used in this section a “tribal agency” means an entity designated by a federally recognized tribe as authorized to approve a home consistent with the federal Indian Child Welfare Act (25 U.S.C. Sec. 1901 et seq.), for the purpose of placement of an Indian child into foster or adoptive care, including the authority to conduct a criminal or child abuse background check of, and grant exemptions to, an individual who is a prospective foster or adoptive parent, an adult who resides or is employed in the home of an applicant for approval, any person who has a familial or intimate relationship with any person living in the home of an applicant, or an employee of a tribal child welfare agency who may have contact with a child.

(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 561, Sec. 193. (AB 1516) Effective January 1, 2018.)