Committee advances SB 413 to streamline targeted access to juvenile records with privacy safeguards

Sen. Allen presented Senate Bill 413 on July 16, 2025, telling the Appropriations Committee the bill “seeks to streamline access to juvenile records in limited circumstances in order to speed up case resolution and reduce court congestion and costs.”

Allen said the current requirement to file a petition to access juvenile-court records creates additional expense and delay for counsel representing plaintiffs, child-welfare agencies or probation departments in government claims and civil litigation. “This was all put in place for privacy reasons,” Allen said, “but... petitions end up requiring a lot of resources and time which cost more by the taxpayers.”

The presenter said SB 413 would reduce litigation costs by significantly reducing the number of petitions filed and would include safeguards to prevent further dissemination of records outside the limited access the bill creates. Representatives of the County of Los Angeles identified themselves in the hearing as the bill’s sponsor; the transcript names Andrew Levenbaum as a legislative representative for the County of Los Angeles and also records a speaker identified as Andy Liebenbauch/Liebenbauce representing the county in support.

When asked, a county representative confirmed the bill is intended to give targeted access to juvenile case files while maintaining privacy protections; no organized opposition was recorded in the hearing excerpt. The committee moved SB 413 forward; the clerk recorded that the item was “out on the a roll call,” and the record notes that Assemblymember Dixon did not cast a vote. The transcript excerpt does not include a numeric roll-call tally.

The hearing record does not include the full statutory language or the detailed privacy safeguards; those details would be determined in the bill text and any implementing guidance if advanced. Committee members thanked the author and the sponsor for bringing the measure; a motion and second were recorded before the roll call that advanced the bill.

Ending: SB 413 was advanced out of Appropriations Committee on a roll call; the available transcript excerpt records the advancement and that Assemblymember Dixon did not vote but does not include the numeric vote tally.