(a) Notwithstanding any other law, a federally recognized tribe is authorized, but not required, to approve a home for the purpose of foster or adoptive placement of an Indian child pursuant to the federal Indian Child Welfare Act (25 U.S.C. Sec. 1915).

(b) An Indian child, as defined by subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 224, that has been removed pursuant to Section 361, from the custody of their parents or Indian custodian may be placed in a tribally approved home pursuant to Section 1915 of the federal Indian Child Welfare Act.

(c) To facilitate the availability of tribally approved homes that have been fully approved in accord with federal law, including completion of required background checks, a tribal agency may request from the Department of Justice federal and state summary criminal history information regarding a prospective foster parent or adoptive parent, an adult who resides or is employed in the home of an applicant, a person who has a familial or intimate relationship with a person living in the home of an applicant, or an employee of the child welfare agency who may have contact with children, in accord with subdivision (m) of Section 11105 of the Penal Code and Child Abuse Central Index Information pursuant to paragraph (8) of subdivision (b) of Section 11170 of the Penal Code.

(d) As used in this section, a “tribal agency” means an entity designated by a federally recognized tribe as authorized to approve homes consistent with the federal Indian Child Welfare Act for the purpose of placement of Indian children, into foster or adoptive care, including the authority to conduct criminal record and child abuse background checks of, and grant exemptions to, individuals who are prospective foster parents or adoptive parents, an adult who resides or is employed in the home of an applicant for approval, a person who has a familial or intimate relationship with a person living in the home of an applicant, or an employee of the tribal agency who may have contact with children.

(e) A county social worker may place an Indian child in a tribally approved home without having to conduct a separate background check, upon certification by the tribal agency of the following:

(1) The tribal agency has completed a criminal record background check in accord with the standards set forth in Section 1522 of the Health and Safety Code, and a Child Abuse Central Index Check pursuant to Section 1522.1 of the Health and Safety Code, with respect to each of the individuals described in subdivision (c).

(2) The tribal agency has agreed to report to a county child welfare agency responsible for a child placed in the tribally approved home, within 24 hours of notification to the tribal agency by the Department of Justice, of a subsequent state or federal arrest or disposition notification provided pursuant to Section 11105.2 of the Penal Code involving an individual associated with the tribally approved home where an Indian child is placed.

(3) If the tribal agency in its certification states that the individual was granted a criminal record exemption, the certification shall specify that the exemption was evaluated in accord with the standards and limitations set forth in paragraph (1) of subdivision (g) of Section 1522 of the Health and Safety Code and was not granted to an individual ineligible for an exemption under that provision.

(f) Tribal home approvals conducted in compliance with this section are not subject to resource family approval requirements.

(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 434, Sec. 3. (AB 686) Effective January 1, 2020.)