Bill Text: CA AB883 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

---

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-Amended.html

---

BILL NUMBER: AB 883	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	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)  to  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, as amended, Cooley. Child sexual abuse: prevention
 and intervention programs.   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  establishes   establish
 the Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Program  to create
  as  a pilot program in  each
participating county   no more than 3 counties, as
determined by the State Department of Social Services,  to
provide child sexual abuse prevention and intervention services
 or fully fund agencies and private   through
public, private,  or nonprofit programs that provide those
services. The bill would annually appropriate  $50,000  from
the General Fund  $70,000  to each county that
conducts a pilot program, thereby making an appropriation. The bill
would provide that  public and private   public,
private, and 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  youth homelessness, human
trafficking, child abuse, or  child sexual abuse or prevention.
 The bill would require each participating county to compile and
collect data on the efficacy of the pilot program and 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,
2017. 
   Vote: 2/3. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


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 costs the United States at least
 $97.5   $124  billion per  year.
  year according to the federal Centers for Disease
Control. 
   (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  each participating county
  no more than three counties  to provide child
sexual abuse prevention and intervention services  or fully
fund agencies and private   through public, private,
 or nonprofit programs that provide child sexual abuse
prevention and intervention services .
   (b) The sum of  seventy   fifty 
thousand dollars  ($70,000)   ($50,000)  is
hereby appropriated annually from the General Fund to each county
that conducts a pilot program under  the provisions of
 this article to prevent and reduce child sexual abuse. 

   (c) The State Department of Social Services shall determine the
counties that will participate in the Child Sexual Abuse Prevention
Program based on the agency's determination that the counties have
significant incidences of any of the following: homeless youth, child
abuse, child sexual abuse, sexually exploited minors, minors
involved in prostitution, or human trafficking.  
   (c) 
    (d)  Each  participating  county is encouraged
to efficiently use these funds by giving priority to programs
currently serving the needs of  children at risk of sexual
abuse that   at-risk children that meet the criteria in
Section 18974.1 and that  have demonstrated effectiveness in
 youth homelessness, human trafficking, child abuse, or 
child sexual abuse 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.  
   18974.1.  Public and private agencies shall be eligible for
funding provided that evidence is submitted as part of the
application for funding to demonstrate broad-based community support.
The evidence shall further demonstrate 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:
   (a) The county welfare department.
   (b) A public law enforcement agency.
   (c) The county probation department.
   (d) The county board of supervisors.
   (e) The county public health department.
   (f) The county mental health department.
   (g) Any school district.  
   18974.2.  (a) Each pilot program may 
    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 to
the county social services department or another similar local
agency.  
   (b) Public, private, and nonprofit agencies shall be eligible for
funding provided that evidence is submitted as part of the
application to the county for funding to demonstrate broad-based
community support. The evidence shall further demonstrate 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, compile and collect data
on the efficacy of the pilot program.  
   (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) The amount of educational materials distributed to stakeholder
groups that address the connection between human trafficking and
child sexual abuse.  
   (4) Statistics on the increase or decrease of reports of child
sexual abuse within the county.  
   (5) Statistics on the increase or decrease of arrests and
convictions within the county for child sexual abuse.  
   (6) 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.  
   (7) A complete and accurate accounting of all funds received and
spent pursuant to this section.  
   (8) Efforts to strengthen the capacity of schools and
youth-serving organizations pursuant to subdivision (f) and the
outcome of those efforts. 
    (e)     Each participating county shall
 propose a multiyear plan that identifies how to advance all of
the following objectives:
   (1) Fostering community coalitions and networks for preventing and
reducing  youth homelessness, child abuse,  child sexual
abuse  , and human trafficking  .
   (2) Strengthening individual knowledge and skills in identifying
risks and prevention techniques  of   for youth
homelessness, child abuse,  child sexual abuse  , or human
trafficking .
   (3) Promoting community education.
   (4) Educating providers of children services.
   (5) Changing children's organizations practices to reduce the
possibility of child sexual abuse. 
   (6) Promoting greater data sharing and collaboration between law
enforcement agencies, probation departments, and child welfare
agencies to identify children in the community who are at risk for
homelessness, abuse, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, prostitution,
or human trafficking.  
   (f) Each pilot program shall do all of the following to strengthen
the capacity of schools and youth-serving organizations to prevent
sexual abuse:  
   (1) Utilize an assessment process to identify strengths and gaps.
 
   (2) Implement comprehensive training, screening, responding, and
reporting protocols.  
   (3) Develop codes of conduct to prevent inappropriate behaviors
before they escalate to reportable offenses.  
   (4) Modify physical spaces to reduce risk.  
   (5) Adopt policies matched to the organizational mission. 

   (b) 
    (g)  Each pilot program may create guidelines to assess
the community's overall understanding of child sexual abuse. 

   (c) 
    (h)  Each pilot program may create and track data to
objectively measure changes in the community condition and attitudes
towards child sexual abuse by performing certain tasks, including,
but not limited, to the following:
   (1) Reviewing local sexual violence data, police reports, and
reports of child sexual abuse to measure any change in reporting.
   (2) Identifying risk factors and protective factors particular to
each community.
   (3) Tracking increases in preventative and treatment services
within the community for child sexual abuse. 
   (d) 
    (i)  Each pilot program may develop local prevention
plans. 
   (j) Each report submitted pursuant to subdivision (d) shall be
submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
 
   18974.2.  This article shall remain in effect only until January
1, 2017, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted
statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2017, deletes or extends
that date.