Legislation Aims to Change the Way Youth Leagues Keeps Parents Informed

A new bill by State Assemblyman Brian Maienschein requiring community youth sports programs to disclose if they conduct background checks on coaches has passed to the state senate.

The assemblyman, who serves the 77th District and the communities of 4S Ranch, Carmel Mountain Ranch, Carmel Valley, Del Mar Heights, Poway, Rancho Bernardo and Rancho Penasquitos, announced the passage saying that the California State Assembly unanimously supported Assembly Bill 230.

“This is an important step,” Maienschein through a written statement. “We are empowering parents with the information they need to make important decisions affecting their children.”

The assemblyman wrote that AB 230 builds on last year’s passage of AB 465 (2013), authored by him. Maienschein see the newest legislation as a tool that helps parents protect their children and keeps them informed on the background check policies of a youth sports league.

AB 465 was a bipartisan effort that authorized all community youth sports programs to utilize background checks and subsequent arrest notices from the California Department of Justice, according to a news release.

“As a coach myself, I know that most of us want to do all we can to provide a positive, fun, and safe experience to the kids on our team,” Maienschein wrote, “but more importantly, as a father of two daughters, I want to do everything possible to protect our children.”

AB 230 will be heard in the Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development.