Juveniles: delinquency.

Senator Menjivar's juvenile justice reform legislation would allow California counties with populations over 6 million to delegate certain juvenile court responsibilities to specialized county officials focused on youth development and diversion programs. The bill maintains existing peace officer duties while expanding authorized access to juvenile case files.

Under the proposal, county boards of supervisors could transfer juvenile court administrative duties to officials overseeing youth programs, provided they belong to collective bargaining units. The legislation includes provisions protecting current probation department staff positions and prohibits delegating duties legally required to be performed by peace officers.

The bill also modifies juvenile case file access protocols, authorizing these newly empowered county officials to inspect records while maintaining existing confidentiality protections. Current requirements for notifying schools about student offenses, maintaining separate confidential files, and restricting information dissemination remain in place, with violations continuing to constitute misdemeanors punishable by fines up to $500.

For deceased minors' case files, the legislation codifies procedures for public release through court petition, requiring redaction of information about other minors and allowing objections from interested parties. The court must rule on such petitions within 30 days of hearing arguments, with decisions immediately reviewable by appellate courts.