Social workers.

Existing law makes it a crime for a person having the custody of any record, map, or book, or of any paper or proceeding of any court, filed or deposited in any public office, or placed in their hands for any purpose to steal, remove, secrete, destroy, mutilate, deface, alter, or falsify, or to allow another to do any of those acts, with regard to the whole, or any part of, the record, map, book, paper, or proceeding. Existing law provides that if those acts are done by an officer, it is a felony, punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for 2, 3, or 4 years, and, if done by a person who is not an officer, it is either a felony, punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for 16 months or 2 or 3 years, or a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding one year, by a fine not exceeding $1,000, or by both. This bill would clarify that, for the purposes of these provisions, a social worker employed by a county is not an officer. Existing law establishes the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, which may adjudge a child to be a dependent or ward of the court under certain circumstances. Under existing law, if a minor has been, or has a petition filed with the court to be, adjudged a dependent child of the court, and it appears the minor needs immediate emergency treatment, a social worker may, without court order, authorize medical and other care for a minor, to be provided by a licensed physician and surgeon or dentist, as applicable. This bill would require, in that situation, the social worker to secure care for the child. By increasing the duties of social workers, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.