(1) Existing law prohibits a transport escort service from accompanying or transporting a minor to any residential facility or institution located outside the state, unless the person or persons transporting or accompanying the minor are trustline-registered childcare providers. Existing law also requires every transport escort service that accompanies or transports a minor who is a resident of California to any residential facility or institution located outside the state to first provide the minor's parents, custodial parent, or legal guardian with specified information, including, among others things, a description of the childcare provider trustline registry. Existing law makes a violation of these provisions a misdemeanor.
This bill, the Safe Passage for Youth Act, would expand those provisions relating to transport escort services to apply when accompanying or transporting a minor, without regard to whether the destination is an out-of-state residential facility or institution. The bill would revise the definition of a "transport escort service" and also make these provisions inapplicable to the transport of minors by an individual providing private childcare, casual babysitting, or domestic nanny services, if certain conditions are met. By expanding the scope of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The bill would also impose various additional requirements and restrictions on transport escort services, including, among other things, a requirement that they maintain written policies governing the safety and welfare of minors and a prohibition on using behavioral restraints unless it is necessary to prevent imminent, serious physical harm and less restrictive alternatives are not available. The bill would authorize the Attorney General to bring an action in superior court to enforce these provisions if a transport escort service engages in repeated or egregious violations of any of the above provisions.
(2) The Passenger Charter-party Carriers' Act places charter-party carriers of passengers under the jurisdiction and control of the Public Utilities Commission. The act defines a charter-party carrier of passengers to mean every person that is engaged in the transportation of persons by motor vehicle for compensation, whether in common or contract carriage, over any public highway, subject to certain exceptions. The act prohibits a charter-party carrier of passengers from engaging in transportation services without obtaining a specified certificate or permit, as appropriate, from the commission, and requires each application for a certificate or permit to be accompanied by a specified filing fee. The act authorizes the commission to cancel, revoke, or suspend a permit or certificate upon specified grounds. A violation of the act, a permit or certificate issued pursuant to the act, or an order or direction of the commission adopted pursuant to the act is a crime.
This bill would prohibit a transport escort service from operating in the state without a charter-party carrier of passengers permit issued by the commission. Because a violation of the requirement to obtain a permit would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
(3) Existing law, the Private Investigator Act, provides for the license and regulation of private investigators, as provided. The act defines private investigator to mean a person who engages in business or accepts employment to furnish any person to protect persons or investigation for the purposes of obtaining information, as specified.
Under this bill, a private investigator license issued under the act would not constitute or confer a permit to operate as a transport escort service and would not be construed as authorizing the holder to operate as a transport escort services, as provided. Under the bill, a person permitted to operate a transport escort service would not be required to hold a private investigator license under the act solely by reason of transporting or accompanying a minor.
(4) 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Statutes affected:
06/23/26 - Amended Assembly: 1596.653 HSC, 1596.653 HSC