(a) On or before July 1, 2012, the department, in consultation with representatives of the Legislature, the County Welfare Directors Association, the Chief Probation Officers of California, the California Youth Connection, the Judicial Council, former foster youth, child advocacy organizations, dependency counsel for children, juvenile justice advocacy organizations, foster caregiver organizations, labor organizations, and representatives of tribes, shall revise regulations regarding health and safety standards for licensing foster family homes and community care facilities in which nonminor dependents, as defined in subdivision (v) of Section 11400 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, of the juvenile court are placed under the responsibility of the county welfare or probation department or an Indian tribe that entered into an agreement pursuant to Section 10553.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

(b) The regulations shall recognize the status of nonminor dependents as legal adults. At a minimum, the regulations shall provide both of the following:

(1) That nonminors described in subdivision (a) shall have the greatest amount of freedom that will safely prepare them for self-sufficiency.

(2) That nonminors described in subdivision (a) in a community care facility shall not be subject to criminal background clearances pursuant to Sections 1522 and 1522.1, for the purposes of facility licensing.

(c) Notwithstanding the Administrative Procedure Act, Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, the department shall, in consultation with the stakeholders listed in subdivision (a), prepare for implementation of the applicable provisions of this section by publishing all-county letters or similar instructions from the director by October 1, 2011, to be effective January 1, 2012. Emergency regulations to implement this section may be adopted by the director in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act. The initial adoption of the emergency regulations and one readoption of the initial regulations shall be deemed to be an emergency and necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety, or general welfare. Initial emergency regulations and the first readoption of those emergency regulations shall be exempt from review by the Office of Administrative Law. The emergency regulations authorized by this section shall be submitted to the Office of Administrative Law for filing with the Secretary of State and shall remain in effect for no more than 180 days.

(Added by Stats. 2010, Ch. 559, Sec. 4. (AB 12) Effective January 1, 2011.)