Bill Text: CA AB883 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Child sexual abuse: prevention pilot program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Vetoed) 2014-09-28 - Vetoed by Governor. [AB883 Detail]
Download: California-2013-AB883-Enrolled.html
BILL NUMBER: AB 883 ENROLLED
BILL TEXT
PASSED THE SENATE AUGUST 26, 2014
PASSED THE ASSEMBLY AUGUST 27, 2014
AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 15, 2014
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JANUARY 23, 2014
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JANUARY 6, 2014
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 21, 2013
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Cooley
FEBRUARY 22, 2013
An act to add and repeal Article 7 (commencing with Section 18974)
of Chapter 11 of Part 6 of Division 9 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code, relating to child sexual abuse, and making an
appropriation therefor.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 883, Cooley. Child sexual abuse: prevention pilot program.
Existing law authorizes the Office of Child Abuse Prevention to
fund, through allocations provided to local counties, child abuse and
neglect prevention and intervention programs. Existing law creates
the State Children's Trust Fund in the State Treasury and requires
money in the fund to be allocated to the State Department of Social
Services for the purpose of funding child abuse and neglect
prevention and intervention programs.
This bill would establish the Child Sexual Abuse Prevention
Program as a pilot program in no more than 3 counties, as selected by
the State Department of Social Services from among counties that
volunteer to participate and based on specified criteria, to provide
child sexual abuse prevention and intervention services through
public or private nonprofit programs that provide those services. The
bill would annually appropriate $50,000 from the General Fund to
each county that is selected to conduct a pilot program, thereby
making an appropriation. The bill would provide that public or
private nonprofit agencies shall be eligible for this funding if
specified evidence is provided and would encourage counties to give
priority for funding to existing programs that have demonstrated
effectiveness in child sexual abuse prevention or intervention or
commercial sexual exploitation prevention or intervention. The bill
would require each participating county to annually report to the
State Department of Social Services, the Assembly Committee on Human
Services, and the Senate Committee on Human Services specified
information, including statistics on the increase or decrease of
reports of child sexual abuse within the county. The bill would also
make related findings and declarations. These provisions would be
repealed on January 1, 2019.
Appropriation: yes.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
(a) Children are a precious resource in the state and country.
(b) Victims of child abuse, child sexual abuse, and neglect are at
higher risk for alcoholism, drug abuse, depression, eating
disorders, obesity, suicide, and other chronic adult health problems.
(c) Child abuse and neglect cost the United States at least $124
billion per year according to the federal Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention.
(d) Preventative services and training can significantly reduce
the incidences of child abuse, stabilize families, and contribute to
a reduction in crime.
(e) While child sexual abuse programs that address increased
reporting after the fact are critical to the child victims, it should
be the goal of all Californians to promote adult and community
responsibility to prevent child sexual abuse.
SEC. 2. Article 7 (commencing with Section 18974) is added to
Chapter 11 of Part 6 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions
Code, to read:
Article 7. Child Sexual Abuse Prevention and Intervention
Programs
18974. (a) The Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Program is hereby
established as a pilot program in no more than three counties to
provide child sexual abuse prevention and intervention services
through public or private nonprofit programs that provide child
sexual abuse prevention and intervention services.
(b) The sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) is hereby
appropriated annually from the General Fund to each county that
voluntarily chooses and is selected to conduct a pilot program under
this article to prevent and reduce child sexual abuse.
(c) The State Department of Social Services shall select counties
to participate in the Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Program, from
among the counties that notify the department of their intention to
participate, based on the agency's determination that the counties
have significant incidences of child sexual abuse or commercially
sexually exploited children and have a public or private nonprofit
organization with experience in child sexual abuse issues or
commercial sexual exploitation issues that is designated to act as
the primary administrator for the pilot program.
(d) Each participating county is encouraged to efficiently use
these funds by giving priority to programs currently serving the
needs of at-risk children that meet the criteria in Section 18974.1
and that have demonstrated effectiveness in child sexual abuse
prevention or intervention or commercial sexual exploitation
prevention or intervention. The funds appropriated under this section
shall not supplant or replace any existing funding for programs
currently serving the needs of at-risk children, but may only
supplement the expansion of existing programs or the collaboration of
separate existing programs within the county, or fund newly created
programs within the county if no current programs exist to serve the
needs of children at risk of sexual abuse or commercial sexual
exploitation.
18974.1. (a) The county board of supervisors of a participating
county shall allocate the pilot program funds according to the
provisions of this article. The county board of supervisors may
delegate the administration of the pilot program funds to the county
social services department.
(b) Public or private nonprofit agencies shall be eligible for
funding provided that evidence is submitted as part of the
application to the county that the proposed services are not
duplicated in the community, are based on needs of children at risk,
and are supported by a local public agency, including, but not
limited to, one of the following:
(1) The county welfare department.
(2) A public law enforcement agency.
(3) The county probation department.
(4) The county board of supervisors.
(5) The county public health department.
(6) The county mental health department.
(7) Any school district.
(c) The administering local agency shall, with oversight and
review from the county board of supervisors, include and integrate
the pilot program in the county system improvement plan, county
self-assessments, and the county plan for other federal and state
child abuse prevention programs. To the extent applicable, the county
shall provide similar assurances, data, and outcome assessments to
the Office of Child Abuse Prevention with respect to the pilot
program as are provided regarding other federal and state child abuse
prevention programs.
(d) Each participating county shall annually report to the State
Department of Social Services, the Assembly Committee on Human
Services, and the Senate Committee on Human Services information
including, but not limited to, all of the following:
(1) Changing public attitudes or public opinion polls showing
increased awareness of prevention techniques for child sexual abuse.
(2) The amount of educational materials distributed to stakeholder
groups that address and promote child sexual abuse prevention and
prevention techniques.
(3) Statistics on the increase or decrease of reports of child
sexual abuse within the county.
(4) Identified best practices used by the pilot program which may
be replicated and used by other counties, including, but not limited
to, community outreach, data collection and analysis, and the
creation of educational materials.
18974.2. This article shall remain in effect only until January
1, 2019, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted
statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2019, deletes or extends
that date.
