The Overview
If you are a young person in California's foster care system, you now have the legal right to have your belongings transported during placement changes and other moves in a suitcase, duffel bag, backpack, or moving box, rather than a trash bag. California's Senate Bill 1345, the Foster Children: Rights of Foster Youth bill, became law when Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed it Sept. 20.
Carrying belongings in garbage bags can feel "demeaning and devaluing" for children moving through the child-welfare system, the New York City Administration for Children's Services reported, and The Imprint reported in 2024 that Texas had begun tracking when children entering foster care or changing placements were given trash bags for their things. The law takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.
What the Law Does
California law already gives foster youth a set of rights, including the right to storage space for private use and the right to be free from unreasonable searches of personal belongings. The law adds two new rights: the right to have belongings transported during placement changes in a way that preserves property and dignity, specifically in suitcases, duffel bags, backpacks, or moving boxes rather than trash bags or other inappropriate containers; and the right to maintain reasonable access to personal belongings, clothing, and personal items.
Legislative Status
Sen. Aisha Wahab (D) sponsored the bill alone. The Senate Human Services Committee passed it 4-0 on April 20; the Senate Appropriations Committee passed it 7-0 on May 14; and the full Senate passed it 33-0 on May 22. The Assembly passed it 79-0 on Aug. 31, and the Senate concurred in Assembly amendments 39-0 the same day.
The Youth Law Center, which sponsored the bill, celebrated the signing and said the law strengthens foster youths' rights to dignified transportation of their belongings when they move.
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