1460.2
. (a) If the court or petitioner knows or has reason to know
that the proposed ward or conservatee may be an Indian child, notice
shall comply with subdivision (b) in any case in which the Indian
Child Welfare Act (25 U.S.C. Sec. 1901 et seq.) applies, as specified
in Section 1459.5.
(b) Any notice sent under this section shall be sent to the minor'
s parent or legal guardian, Indian custodian, if any, and the Indian
child's tribe, and shall comply with all of the following
requirements:
(1) Notice shall be sent by registered or certified mail with
return receipt requested. Additional notice by first-class mail is
recommended, but not required.
(2) Notice to the tribe shall be to the tribal chairperson, unless
the tribe has designated another agent for service.
(3) Notice shall be sent to all tribes of which the child may be a
member or eligible for membership until the court makes a
determination as to which tribe is the Indian child's tribe in
accordance with subdivision (d) of Section 1449, after which notice
need only be sent to the tribe determined to be the Indian child's
tribe.
(4) Notice, to the extent required by federal law, shall be sent
to the Secretary of the Interior's designated agent, the Sacramento
Area Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs. If the identity or location
of the Indian child's tribe is known, a copy of the notice shall also
be sent directly to the Secretary of the Interior, unless the
Secretary of the Interior has waived the notice in writing and the
person responsible for giving notice under this section has filed
proof of the waiver with the court.
(5) The notice shall include all of the following information:
(A) The name, birthdate, and birthplace of the Indian child, if
known.
(B) The name of any Indian tribe in which the child is a member or
may be eligible for membership, if known.
(C) All names known of the Indian child's biological parents,
grandparents and great-grandparents or Indian custodians, including
maiden, married, and former names or aliases, as well as their
current and former addresses, birthdates, places of birth and death,
tribal enrollment numbers, and any other identifying information, if
known.
(D) A copy of the petition.
(E) A copy of the child's birth certificate, if available.
(F) The location, mailing address, and telephone number of the
court and all parties notified pursuant to this section.
(G) A statement of the following:
(i) The absolute right of the child's parents, Indian custodians,
and tribe to intervene in the proceeding.
(ii) The right of the child's parents, Indian custodians, and
tribe to petition the court to transfer the proceeding to the tribal
court of the Indian child's tribe, absent objection by either parent
and subject to declination by the tribal court.
(iii) The right of the child's parents, Indian custodians, and
tribe to, upon request, be granted up to an additional 20 days from
the receipt of the notice to prepare for the proceeding.
(iv) The potential legal consequences of the proceedings on the
future custodial rights of the child's parents or Indian custodians.
(v) That if the parents or Indian custodians are unable to afford
counsel, counsel shall be appointed to represent the parents or
Indian custodians pursuant to Section 1912 of the Indian Child
Welfare Act (25 U.S.C. Sec. 1901 et seq.).
(vi) That the information contained in the notice, petition,
pleading, and other court documents is confidential, so any person or
entity notified shall maintain the confidentiality of the
information contained in the notice concerning the particular
proceeding and not reveal it to anyone who does not need the
information in order to exercise the tribe's rights under the Indian
Child Welfare Act (25 U.S.C. Sec. 1901 et seq.).
(c) Notice shall be sent whenever it is known or there is reason
to know that an Indian child is involved, and for every hearing
thereafter, including, but not limited to, the hearing at which a
final adoption order is to be granted. After a tribe acknowledges
that the child is a member or eligible for membership in the tribe,
or after the Indian child's tribe intervenes in a proceeding, the
information set out in subparagraphs (C), (D), (E), and (G) of
paragraph (5) of subdivision (b) need not be included with the
notice.
(d) Proof of the notice, including copies of notices sent and all
return receipts and responses received, shall be filed with the court
in advance of the hearing except as permitted under subdivision (e).
(e) No proceeding shall be held until at least 10 days after
receipt of notice by the parent, Indian custodian, the tribe or the
Bureau of Indian Affairs. The parent, Indian custodian, or the tribe
shall, upon request, be granted up to 20 additional days to prepare
for the proceeding. Nothing herein shall be construed as limiting the
rights of the parent, Indian custodian, or tribe to 10 days' notice
when a lengthier notice period is required by statute.
(f) With respect to giving notice to Indian tribes, a party shall
be subject to court sanctions if that person knowingly and willfully
falsifies or conceals a material fact concerning whether the child is
an Indian child, or counsels a party to do so.
(g) The inclusion of contact information of any adult or child
that would otherwise be required to be included in the notification
pursuant to this section, shall not be required if that person is at
risk of harm as a result of domestic violence, child abuse, sexual
abuse, or stalking.