SACRAMENTO- More than a dozen legislators have signed on to Assembly Bill 493, Keeping Foster Children Safe from Registered Sex Offenders.

Assemblymember Henry T. Perea (D-Fresno) authored AB 493 after an audit found address matches for more than 1,000 sex offenders at state licensed child care and foster home facilities throughout California.

AB 493 would require the Department of Social Services to compare the home and work addresses of registered sex offenders with the addresses of state licensed child care facilities and foster homes on a quarterly basis.

“State licensed day cares and foster homes should be safe places for our children,” Assemblymember Perea said. “We need to make sure our state agencies are using all the tools available to them to keep sex offenders away from kids.”

This bill would also make it a misdemeanor for a sex offender to live, work or volunteer in a state licensed child care, foster home or community care facility, an act that is not currently a crime.

Co-authors include: Assemblymembers Luis Alejo, Jim Beall, Jr., Marty Block, Susan Bonilla, Nathan Fletcher, Linda Halderman, Jared Huffman, Ricardo Lara, Brian Nestande, Kristin Olsen, Anthony Portantino, Norma Torres, Das Williams and Senators Anthony Cannella, Lou Correa, Ted Lieu and Michael Rubio.

AB 493 will be heard in the Senate Human Services Committee in June.

Assemblymember Henry T. Perea represents the 31st District in the California State Assembly which includes the central San Joaquin Valley communities of Cutler-Orosi, Dinuba, Firebaugh, Fowler, Kerman, Mendota, Parlier, Reedley, Sanger, San Joaquin, Selma and the city of Fresno.

Contact: Alisha Gallon 661-364-3655