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AB-883 Child sexual abuse: prevention pilot program.(2013-2014)

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Enrolled  August 29, 2014
Passed  IN  Senate  August 26, 2014
Passed  IN  Assembly  August 27, 2014
Amended  IN  Senate  June 15, 2014
Amended  IN  Assembly  January 23, 2014
Amended  IN  Assembly  January 06, 2014
Amended  IN  Assembly  March 21, 2013

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2013–2014 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 883

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.
Vote: 2/3   Appropriation: YES   Fiscal Committee: YES   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 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.