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

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

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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

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BILL NUMBER: AB 883	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	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, as amended, 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 
determined   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,
private, or nonprofit programs that provide those services. The bill
would annually appropriate $50,000 from the General Fund to each
county that  conducts   is selected to conduct
 a pilot program, thereby making an appropriation. The bill
would provide that 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
  2019  .
   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   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   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, private, or nonprofit programs that provide child
sexual abuse prevention and intervention  services .
  services. 
   (b) The sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) is hereby
appropriated annually from the General Fund to each county that
 conducts   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 
determine the   select  counties  that will
  to  participate in the Child Sexual Abuse
Prevention  Program   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  any of the
following: homeless youth, child abuse,  child sexual abuse
 ,   or  sexually exploited minors 
, minors involved in prostitution, or human trafficking. 
 and have a public, private, or nonprofit organization with
experience in child sexual abuse 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  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.  (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  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) 
    (3)  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) 
    (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. 
   (7) 
    (5)  A complete and accurate accounting of all funds
received and spent pursuant to this section. 
   (8) 
    (6)  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   abuse
 .
   (2) Strengthening individual knowledge and skills in identifying
risks and prevention techniques 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) 
    (3)  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
 ,   or  sexual  exploitation,
prostitution, or human trafficking.   exploitation.

   (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.
   (g) Each pilot program may create guidelines to assess the
community's overall understanding of child sexual abuse. 
   (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.  
   (i) Each pilot program may develop local prevention plans.
 
   (j) 
    (h)  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   2019  , and as of that date is
repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before
January 1,  2017   2019  , deletes or
extends that date.