Bill Text: CA AB46 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: California Youth Empowerment Act.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 12-0)
Status: (Passed) 2021-10-08 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 660, Statutes of 2021. [AB46 Detail]
Download: California-2021-AB46-Amended.html
Amended
IN
Senate
August 26, 2021 |
Amended
IN
Senate
July 15, 2021 |
Amended
IN
Senate
June 23, 2021 |
Amended
IN
Assembly
April 26, 2021 |
Amended
IN
Assembly
April 15, 2021 |
Amended
IN
Assembly
March 30, 2021 |
Amended
IN
Assembly
March 24, 2021 |
Introduced by Assembly Member Luz Rivas (Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Chiu) (Principal coauthor: Senator Wiener) (Coauthors: Assembly Members Boerner Horvath, Bryan, Carrillo, Eduardo Garcia, Low, Robert Rivas, and Villapudua) (Coauthors: Senators Gonzalez and Hurtado) |
December 07, 2020 |
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:SEC. 2.
Chapter 3.4 (commencing with Section 8261) is added to Division 1 of Title 2 of the Government Code, to read:CHAPTER 3.4. California Youth Empowerment Act
Article 1. Title
8260.8261.
This chapter shall be known, and may be cited, as the California Youth Empowerment Act.The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a)The needs and issues affecting youth are most accurately addressed by youth themselves.
(b)Young people in California have demonstrated their passion for the civic process and getting involved, as seen in the spike in voter turnout from the 2014 midterm elections, where 8 percent of California voters between 18 and 24 years of age voted, to the 2018 midterm elections, where 27.5 percent of California voters between 18 and 24 years of age voted.
(c)Young people have also shown their desire for change in social
and public policy, as shown in advocacy efforts relating to gun reform, education, affordable housing, juvenile justice, health, jobs, and climate change.
(d)There are nearly 8,900,000 youths in California under 18 years of age as of the most recent data, compiled for 2019. Of those, an estimated 14,213 unaccompanied minors and youths between 18 and 24 years of age experience homelessness each year. Data shows that approximately 60,778 children are in the foster care system. In 2019, there were 43,181 arrests of California youth, and more than 30,000 of those arrests resulted in the detention of a young person in a juvenile hall. Youth who are homeless, in the juvenile justice system, or in foster care have limited opportunities to participate in the policy process that ultimately impacts their well-being.
(e)The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated disparities among our youth, who are increasingly disconnected from peers, family, teachers, and policymakers. Homeless youth, incarcerated youth, foster youth, and youth with disabilities or preexisting conditions have a higher likelihood of being exposed to COVID-19 or experiencing significant disparities in accessing health care and receiving quality care. According to a report published by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the proportion of emergency department visits from March 2020 to October 2020 related to mental health increased by 24 percent for children 5 to 11 years of age and spiked by 31 percent among adolescents 12 to 17 years of
age compared to the same period of the previous year. Additionally, during the first 12 weeks of the pandemic, nearly one-half (44 percent) of young people 16 to 23 years of age applied for unemployment insurance, the highest rate of any age group. Thus, it is the intent of the Legislature to prioritize the needs and issues affecting youth to prevent irreversible short-term and long-term damage to their development and growth.
(f)The recent protests against state violence and systemic racism against Black communities has highlighted the profound underinvestment of social, health, and educational services and overinvestment in policing and incarceration of young Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) and their communities. Government policies, institutional practices, and individual actions, both
conscious and unconscious, have reinforced a system where BIPOC communities see dramatically increased rates of poverty, violence, policing, foster care, homelessness, multisystem involvement, substance use disorders, and other health disparities. Thus, it is the intent of the Legislature to ensure that all commissions, including the one established by this chapter, purposefully uplift and empower BIPOC individuals and other marginalized communities within both the commission’s composition and its priorities.
(g)The government is designed to address input and participation from the people being served; however, youth under 18 years of age who cannot vote do not have a formal way to participate in the civic process.
(h)There is a growing need to engage our youth directly with
policymakers in a manner that will provide genuine opportunities for our youth to acquire civic knowledge and develop the skills necessary to participate fully in a democratic society.
(i)Over 20 other states have statewide youth entities codified into law for the purpose of advising their respective legislatures and governors.
(j)The California Youth Empowerment Commission, as established by this chapter, is intended to provide model legislation and advocacy for the needs of youth.