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AB-912 Strategic Anti-Violence Funding Efforts Act.(2023-2024)

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Date Published: 09/14/2023 09:00 PM
AB912:v92#DOCUMENT

Enrolled  September 14, 2023
Passed  IN  Senate  September 11, 2023
Passed  IN  Assembly  September 12, 2023
Amended  IN  Senate  September 01, 2023
Amended  IN  Assembly  May 18, 2023
Amended  IN  Assembly  April 17, 2023
Amended  IN  Assembly  April 03, 2023
Amended  IN  Assembly  March 23, 2023
Amended  IN  Assembly  March 14, 2023

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 912

Introduced by Assembly Member Jones-Sawyer
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Alanis, Juan Carrillo, McCarty, Muratsuchi, Santiago, Waldron, and Zbur)
(Coauthors: Senators Rubio and Skinner)

February 14, 2023

An act to amend Sections 124174, 124174.2, 124174.3, and 124174.4 of, to amend and renumber Section 124174.6 of, and to repeal Section 124174.5 of, the Health and Safety Code, to add Title 10.3 (commencing with Section 14138) to Part 4 of, and to repeal Chapter 3.1 (commencing with Section 13825.1) of Title 6 of Part 4 of, the Penal Code, to add Chapter 3.4 (commencing with Section 5660) to Division 5 of the Public Resources Code, and to add Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 2300) to Division 2.5 of, to add Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 8270) to Division 8 of, and to repeal Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 1450) of Part 1 of Division 2 of, the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to youth.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 912, Jones-Sawyer. Strategic Anti-Violence Funding Efforts Act.
(1) Existing law establishes the Youth Reinvestment Grant Program within the Board of State and Community Corrections to grant funds, upon appropriation, to local jurisdictions and Indian tribes for the purpose of implementing trauma-informed diversion programs for minors, as specified.
This bill would repeal these provisions. The bill would reestablish the Youth Reinvestment Grant Program, to be administered by the Office of Youth and Community Restoration, for the purpose of implementing a mixed-delivery system of trauma-informed health and development diversion programs for youth, as specified. The bill would create the Youth Reinvestment Fund to be used, upon appropriation by the Legislature, by the office for the purposes of the program. The bill would require applicants for the program to be nongovernmental agencies or tribal governments, as specified. The bill would provide that an applicant under this program be awarded no less than $50,000, and no more than $2,000,000, and would specify the requirements of diversion programs to qualify for funding under these provisions.
(2) Existing law establishes, until January 1, 2025, the California Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant Program, administered by the Board of State and Community Corrections, to award competitive grants for the purpose of violence intervention and prevention.
This bill would establish, upon appropriation by the Legislature, the Department of Justice Violence Reduction Grant Program to be administered by the department for the purpose of supporting evidence-based, focus-deterrence collaborative programs that conduct outreach to targeted gangs and offer supportive services to preemptively reduce and eliminate violence and gang involvement. The bill would require the department to award grants on a competitive basis, with preference given to cities and local jurisdictions that are disproportionately impacted by violence and gang involvement. The bill would require the department to form a grant selection advisory committee, as specified. The bill would require grantees to report to the department, in a form and at intervals prescribed by the department, regarding the progress in achieving the grant objectives, and would require the department to report to the Legislature on the impact of violence prevention initiatives supported by the grant program.
(3) Existing law requires the governing board of a school district to give diligent care to the health and physical development of pupils and authorizes the governing board of a school district to employ properly certified persons for the work. Existing law requires a school of a school district or county office of education and a charter school to notify pupils and parents or guardians of pupils no less than twice during the school year on how to initiate access to available pupil mental health services on campus or in the community, or both, as provided.
This bill would also establish, upon appropriation by the Legislature, within the California Health and Human Services Agency a program to evaluate applications and award grants, in 5-year cycles, to schools to implement the Trauma Intervention Program to implement evidence-based interventions for pupils impacted by trauma. The bill would give the priority to the Counties of Alameda, Fresno, Merced, Tulare, Kern, and Los Angeles, as specified. The bill would require the agency to open eligibility for grants every 5 years, with priority to the top 6 counties that have the highest rate of violent crime and homicide, as reported by the Department of Justice’s annual crime data report. The bill would also require grants to be awarded to a research organization to conduct a study on the effects of the treatment, including any effect on subsequent criminality.
This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Counties of Alameda, Fresno, Merced, Tulare, Kern, and Los Angeles.
(4) Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health, in cooperation with the State Department of Education, to establish a Public School Health Center Support Program, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to assist school health centers, which are defined as centers or programs, located at or near local educational agencies, that provide age-appropriate health care services at the program site or through referrals, as specified.
This bill would rename the program as the School-Based Health Center Support Program and would redefine a school-based health center to mean a student-focused health center or clinic that is located at or near a school or schools, is organized through school, community, and health provider relationships, and provides age-appropriate, clinical health care services onsite by qualified health professionals. The bill would authorize a school-based health center to provide primary medical care, behavioral health services, or dental care services onsite or through mobile health or telehealth. The bill would authorize the State Department of Public Health to contract with other entities for the purpose of providing assistance in specified areas to school-based health centers that receive grant moneys.
Existing law requires the department, subject to an appropriation, to establish a grant program within the Public School Health Center Support Program to provide technical assistance and funding for the expansion, renovation, and retrofitting of existing school health centers and the development of new school health centers. Existing law requires a health center receiving grant funds to meet or have a plan to meet specified requirements relating to the provision of certain services.
This bill would make changes to certain service requirements relating to, among other things, primary medical care, substance use disorder services, population health, and integrated and individualized support.
Existing law requires, subject to an appropriation, that planning grants under the program be available in amounts between $25,000 and $50,000 for a 6- to 12-month period for specified uses.
This bill would instead require that planning grants be available in amounts between $50,000 and $100,000, inclusive, for up to a 24-month period.
Existing law requires, subject to an appropriation, that facilities and startup grants be available in amounts between $20,000 and $250,000 per year for a 3-year period for the purpose of establishing a school health center, with the potential addition of $100,000 in the first year for facilities construction, purchase, or renovation.
This bill would instead require that facilities and startup grants be available in amounts between $300,000 and $850,000, inclusive, for a 3-year period. The bill would make certain changes to preference-related criteria.
Existing law requires, subject to an appropriation, that sustainability grants be available in amounts between $25,000 and $125,000 per year for a 3-year period for the purpose of operating a school health center, or enhancing programming at a fully operational school health center, and sets forth certain criteria for those grants.
This bill would delete those provisions and would instead require that expansion grants be available in amounts between $150,000 and $300,000, inclusive, for up to a 3-year period for the purpose of renovating and improving an existing school-based health center or enhancing and expanding programming at a fully operational school-based health center, as specified. The bill would require that sustainability grants be available in amounts between $150,000 and $300,000, inclusive, per year for the purpose of operating a school health center. The bill would set forth certain eligibility-related criteria for these grants.
This bill would require the department, subject to an appropriation, to administer grants pursuant to this program beginning on or before January 1, 2025.
Existing law requires the program, in collaboration with the State Department of Education, to act as a liaison for school-based health centers.
This bill would delete that provision.
Existing law requires the State Department of Education to establish an Office of School-Based Health Programs for the purpose of assisting local educational agencies regarding the current health-related programs under the purview of the department, as specified.
This bill would require the office to work with the State Department of Public Health in supporting the School-Based Health Center Support Program.
(5) Existing law requires the Director of Parks and Recreation to establish the Outdoor Equity Grants Program to increase the ability of underserved and at-risk populations to participate in outdoor environmental educational experiences at state parks and other public lands where outdoor environmental education programs take place.
This bill would create a grant program, subject to an appropriation, under the Department of Parks and Recreation to award grants to tribal and local governments and community-based organizations for the purpose of supporting existing and creating new parks and recreation opportunities and supporting existing and creating new summer programs for youth in order to create and enhance recreation- and health-based interventions for youth during peak times of violence. The bill would require the department to develop criteria, procedures, and accountability measures to implement the grant program and to administer the grant program to ensure priority is given to underserved populations, as specified. The bill would require the department to give priority for funding to outdoor recreation- and health-based intervention programs during peak times of violence that primarily provide outreach to and serve youth who are impacted by violence and gang involvement in their communities. The bill would also require the department to annually report to the appropriate policy, budget, and fiscal committee of the Legislature regarding the effectiveness of the programs awarded funding in achieving the overall objectives of the grant program.
(6) Existing law establishes the California Gang, Crime, and Violence Prevention Partnership Program for the purposes of reducing gang, criminal activity, and youth violence in specified communities. Existing law requires the Department of Justice to disburse all available funds to community-based organizations and nonprofit agencies that meet specified program requirements.
This bill would repeal those provisions.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the Strategic Anti-Violence Funding Efforts Act, or SAFE Act.

SEC. 2.

 The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) estimates that savings associated with the closure of prisons and Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) facilities, as well as a declining population of incarcerated persons, will total $1.5 billion annually by 2025.
(b) On December 6, 2022, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) announced the closure of Chuckwalla Valley State Prison (CVSP) and exiting of California City Correctional Facility (Cal City). CVSP will close by March 2025. CDCR will terminate the Cal City contract in March 2024 and end the use of that facility as a state prison.
(c) The LAO estimates that savings associated with the closure of CVSP amounts to $100 million in ongoing funds, and the exiting of Cal City amounts to $135.3 million. Therefore, the closure of CVSP and exiting of Cal City amounts to a cost savings of $235.3 million annually.
(d) It is the intent of the Legislature to reinvest the CDCR cost savings from prison closures and declining incarcerated persons’ populations to do all of the following:
(1) Create a grant program to implement evidence-based interventions for pupils impacted by trauma.
(2) Provide ongoing funding for the Youth Reinvestment Grant Fund.
(3) Create a fund to support existing and create new parks and recreation opportunities, as well as summer programs for youth.
(4) Provide grants to school-based health centers in order to provide physical health and mental health services to youth on school sites.
(5) Create a fund to support early intervention programs to reduce violence by mentoring “at-promise” individuals.

SEC. 3.

 Section 124174 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:

124174.
 The following definitions shall govern the construction of this article, unless the context requires otherwise:
(a) “Program” means a School-Based Health Center Support Program.
(b) (1) “School-based health center” means a student-focused health center or clinic that meets all of the following conditions:
(A) Is located at or near a school or schools.
(B) Is organized through school, community, and health provider relationships.
(C) Provides age-appropriate, clinical health care services onsite by qualified health professionals.
(2) A school-based health center may provide primary medical care, behavioral health services, or dental care services onsite or through mobile health or telehealth.
(c) For purposes of this section, “local educational agency” means a school, school district, charter school, or county office of education if the county office of education serves students in kindergarten, or any grades from 1 to 12, inclusive.
(d) “Department” means the State Department of Public Health.

SEC. 4.

 Section 124174.2 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:

124174.2.
 (a) The department, in cooperation with the Office of School-Based Health Programs in the State Department of Education, shall establish a School-Based Health Center Support Program.
(b) The program, in collaboration with the State Department of Education, shall perform the following program functions:
(1) Provide technical assistance to school-based health centers on effective outreach and enrollment strategies to identify children who are eligible for, but not enrolled in, the Medi-Cal program, Covered California, or any other applicable health insurance affordability program for children.
(2) Serve as a liaison between organizations within the department, including, but not limited to, prevention services, primary care, health equity, oral health, behavioral health, and family health.
(3) Serve as a liaison between other state entities, as appropriate, including, but not limited to, the State Department of Health Care Services, the Department of Managed Health Care, and the Office of Emergency Services.
(4) Provide technical assistance to facilitate and encourage the establishment, retention, or expansion of, school-based health centers. For purposes of this paragraph, technical assistance may include, but is not limited to, identifying available public and private sources of funding, which may include federal Medicaid funds, funds from third-party reimbursements, state demonstration projects or incentive programs, and available federal or foundation grant moneys.
(c) In addition to the duties described in subdivision (b), the department may enter into a contract with an entity that coordinates the efforts of school-based health centers for the purpose of providing assistance to school-based health centers that receive grant moneys. A contract entered into under this subdivision shall require the entity to perform the following:
(1) Provide technical assistance and community-specific ongoing training to school-based health centers, school districts, and local education agencies.
(2) Assist school-based health centers in improving business practices, including, but not limited to, practices related to billing and efficiencies.
(3) Assist school-based health centers in expanding their relationships with coordinated care organizations, sponsors of medical care for school-age children, and other community-based providers of school-based health and mental health services.
(4) Facilitate the integration of health and education policies and programs at the local level so that school-based health centers operate in an optimal environment.
(d) The department shall consult with interested parties and appropriate health and education stakeholders, including the California School-Based Health Alliance and representatives of youth and parents, in carrying out its responsibilities under this article.

SEC. 5.

 Section 124174.3 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:

124174.3.
 (a) The department shall establish standardized data collection procedures and collect data specified in subdivision (c) from school-based health centers on an ongoing basis. School-based health centers shall report data to the department only to the extent that state funding is provided to school-based health centers under the program.
(b) The data collected pursuant to this section shall be submitted in a format determined by the department in accordance with applicable state and federal requirements for confidentiality and protected health information.
(c) Data collected pursuant to this section shall include the following:
(1) The name of the primary contact person, telephone numbers, including facsimile, physical address, and the email address, if applicable, for each school-based health center.
(2) The annual number of schoolage children receiving health services or mental health services from the school-based health center.
(3) The type and volume of services provided by the school-based health centers.
(4) The funding mechanisms used by the school-based health centers.
(5) Information on other programs offered by school-based health centers with an emphasis on preventative health services that address health issues unique to schoolage children, including, but not limited to, childhood obesity, asthma, immunizations against communicable diseases, and child and adolescent mental health disorders.
(d) This section shall be implemented only to the extent funds are appropriated for this purpose in the Budget Act or pursuant to the enactment of legislation subsequent to the addition of this section.

SEC. 6.

 Section 124174.4 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:

124174.4.
 The Office of School-Based Health Programs in the State Department of Education, in collaboration with the department, shall perform the following functions:
(a) Coordination of programs within the State Department of Education that support school-based health centers.
(b) The provision of technical assistance to facilitate and encourage the establishment, retention, and expansion of school-based health centers in local educational agencies. For purposes of this subdivision, “technical assistance” may include the provision of information to local educational agencies and other entities regarding the utilization of facilities, liability insurance, cooperative agreements with community-based providers, and other issues pertinent to school-based health centers.

SEC. 7.

 Section 124174.5 of the Health and Safety Code is repealed.

SEC. 8.

 Section 124174.6 of the Health and Safety Code is amended and renumbered to read:

124174.5.
 The department shall establish a grant program within the School-Based Health Center Support Program to provide technical assistance, and funding for the expansion, renovation, and retrofitting of existing school-based health centers, and the development of new school-based health centers, in accordance with the following procedures and requirements:
(a) A school-based health center receiving grant funds pursuant to this section shall meet or have a plan to meet the following requirements:
(1) Provide primary medical care. The health center may also provide other health care services, including behavioral health, dental care, health education, and related services in response to community needs.
(2) Strive to provide a comprehensive and integrated set of other health care services, provided or supervised by licensed or credentialed professionals, which may include the following:
(A) Physical examinations, immunizations, and other preventive medical services.
(B) Diagnosis and treatment of minor injuries and acute medical conditions.
(C) Management of chronic medical conditions.
(D) Basic laboratory tests.
(E) Referrals to and followup for specialty care.
(F) Reproductive health services.
(G) Nutrition services.
(H) Mental health services provided or supervised by an appropriately licensed or credentialed mental health professional may include: assessments, crisis intervention, counseling, treatment, and referral to a continuum of services including emergency psychiatric care, community support programs, inpatient care, and outpatient programs. School-based health centers providing mental health services as specified in this section shall consult with the local county mental health department for collaboration in planning and service delivery.
(I) Substance use disorder services, including education, prevention, screening, early interventions, counseling, and referral to treatment services.
(J) Oral health services that may include preventive services, basic restorative services, and referral to specialty services.
(3) Strive to address the population health of the entire school campus by focusing on prevention services, including, but not limited to, group and classroom education, schoolwide prevention programs, and community outreach strategies within the school’s Multi-Tiered System of Support or other similar framework employed by the local educational agency.
(4) Strive to provide integrated and individualized support for students and families and to act as a partner with the student or family to ensure that health, social, or behavioral challenges are addressed.
(5) Strive to integrate the school-based health center in the school or local educational agency’s community school model, if applicable.
(6) Work in partnership with the school nurse, if one is employed by the local educational agency, to provide individual and family health education; school or districtwide health promotion; first aid and administration of medications; facilitation of student enrollment in health insurance programs; screening of students to identify the need for physical, mental health, and oral health services; referral and linkage to services not offered onsite; public health and disease surveillance; and emergency response procedures. A school-based health center may receive grant funding pursuant to this section if the local educational agency does not employ a school nurse. However, it is not the intent of the Legislature that a school-based health center serve as a substitute for a school nurse employed by a local educational agency.
(7) Have a written contract or memorandum of understanding between the local educational agency and the health care provider or any other community providers that ensures coordination of services, ensures confidentiality and privacy of health information consistent with applicable federal and state laws, and integration of services into the school environment.
(8) Serve all registered students in the school regardless of ability to pay.
(9) Be open during all normal school hours, or on a more limited basis if resources are not available, or on a more expansive basis if dictated by community needs and resources are available.
(10) Establish protocols for referring students to outside services when the school-based health center is closed.
(11) Facilitate transportation between the school and the health center if the health center is not located on school or school district property.
(b) Beginning on or before January 1, 2025, planning grants shall be available in amounts between fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) and one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), inclusive, for up to a 24-month period to be used for the costs associated with assessing the need for a school-based health center in a particular community or area, and developing the partnerships necessary for the operation of a school-based health center in that community or area. Applicants for planning grants shall be required to have a letter of interest from a local educational agency if the applicant is not a local educational agency. Grantees provided funding pursuant to this subdivision shall be required to do all of the following:
(1) Seek input from students, parents, school nurses, school staff and administration, local health providers, and if applicable, special population groups, on community health needs, barriers to health care and the need for a school-based health center.
(2) Collect data on the school and community to estimate the percentage of students that lack health insurance and the percentage that are eligible for Medi-Cal or private health care coverage benefits, or other public programs providing free or low-cost health services.
(3) Assess capacity and interest among health care providers in the community to provide services in a school-based health center. 
(4) Assess the need for specific cultural or linguistic services or both.
(c) Beginning on or before January 1, 2025, facilities and startup grants shall be available in amounts between three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) and eight hundred fifty thousand dollars ($850,000), inclusive, for a three-year period for the purpose of establishing a school-based health center. Grant funds may be used to cover a portion or all of the costs associated with designing, retrofitting, renovating, constructing, or buying a facility or mobile health unit, for medical equipment and supplies for a school-based health center, or for personnel costs at a school-based health center. Preference will be given to proposals that include a plan for cost sharing among local educational agencies, health providers, and community organizations or that identify match funding for facilities construction and renovation costs. Preference will be given to proposals that include plans to provide integrated primary medical care and behavioral health services. Applicants for facilities and startup grants offered pursuant to this subdivision shall be required to meet the following criteria:
(1) Have completed a community assessment determining the need for a school-based health center.
(2) Have a contract or memorandum of understanding between the local educational agency and the health care provider, if other than the local educational agency, and any other provider agencies describing the relationship between the local educational agency and the school-based health center.
(3) Have a mechanism, described in writing, to coordinate services to individual students among school and school-based health center staff while maintaining confidentiality and privacy of health information consistent with applicable state and federal laws.
(4) Have a written description of how the school-based health center will participate in the following:
(A) School and districtwide health promotion, coordinated school health, health education in the classroom or on campus, program/activities that address nutrition, fitness, or other important public health issues, or promotion of policies that create a healthy school environment.
(B) Outreach and enrollment of students in health insurance programs.
(C) Public health prevention, surveillance, and emergency response for the school population.
(5) Have the ability to provide the linguistic or cultural services needed by the community. If the school-based health center is not yet able to provide these services due to resource limitations, the school-based health center shall engage in an ongoing assessment of its capacity to provide these services.
(6) Have a plan for maximizing available third-party reimbursement revenue streams.
(d) Beginning on or before January 1, 2025, expansion grants shall be available in amounts between one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) and three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000), inclusive, for up to a three-year period for the purpose of renovating and improving an existing school-based health center, enhancing and expanding programming at a fully operational school-based health center, including adding physical health, oral health, or behavioral health services, or supporting operations at a fully operational school-based health center. Preference will be given to proposals that increase access to comprehensive health care services at the school-based health center by adding staff or services or expanding the facility. Applicants for expansion grants offered pursuant to this subdivision shall be required to meet all of the criteria described in subdivision (c), in addition to all of the following criteria:
(1) The applicant shall be eligible to become or already be an approved Medi-Cal provider.
(2) The applicant shall have ability and procedures in place for billing public insurance programs, managed care health plans, or county mental health plans.
(3) The applicant shall develop a plan to sustain expanded services at the school-based health center after the grant period.
(e) Beginning on or before January 1, 2025, sustainability grants shall be available in amounts between one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) and three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000), inclusive, per year ongoing for the purpose of operating a school health center. Applicants for sustainability grants offered pursuant to this subdivision shall be required to meet all of the criteria described in subdivision (c), in addition to all of the following criteria:
(1) The applicant shall be eligible to become or already be an approved Medi-Cal provider.
(2) The applicant shall have ability and procedures in place for billing public insurance programs, managed care health plans, or county mental health plans.
(3) The applicant shall seek reimbursement and have procedures in place for billing public and private insurance that covers students at the school health center.
(f) The department shall award technical assistance grants through a competitive bidding process to qualified contractors to support grantees receiving grants under subdivisions (b), (c), (d), and (e). A qualified contractor means a vendor with demonstrated capacity in all aspects of planning, facilities development, startup, and operation of a school-based health center.
(g) The department, in collaboration with the Office of School-Based Health Programs in the State Department of Education, shall also develop a request for proposal (RFP) process for collecting information on applicants, and determining which proposals shall receive grant funding. The department shall give preference for grant funding to school-based health centers serving any of the following:
(1) Areas designated as federally medically underserved areas or with medically underserved populations or areas with a shortage of health professionals.
(2) Areas experiencing health disparities in child and adolescent access to primary care, behavioral health, preventative health, or oral health services.
(3) Schools in which more than 55 percent of pupils serviced are unduplicated pupils, as defined in Section 42238.02 of the Education Code.
(h) Moneys shall be allocated to the department annually for evaluation to be conducted by an outside evaluator that is selected through a competitive bidding process. The evaluation shall document the number of grantees that establish and sustain school-based health centers, and describe the challenges and lessons learned in creating successful school-based health centers. The evaluator shall use data collected pursuant to Section 124174.3, if it is available, and work in collaboration with the School-Based Health Center Support Program. The department shall post the evaluation on its internet website.
(i) Recipients of grants given pursuant to this section shall, when contracting for services with the grant moneys, give preference to schools and other entities that are not law enforcement entities.
(j) This section shall be implemented only to the extent that funds are appropriated to the department in the annual Budget Act or other statute for implementation of this article.

SEC. 9.

 Chapter 3.1 (commencing with Section 13825.1) of Title 6 of Part 4 of the Penal Code is repealed.

SEC. 10.

 Title 10.3 (commencing with Section 14138) is added to Part 4 of the Penal Code, to read:

TITLE 10.3. Department of Justice Violence Reduction Grant Program

14138.
 (a) The Department of Justice shall administer a grant program for the purpose of improving public safety and community health and well-being, especially amongst those communities that are impacted by violence and gang involvement.
(b) Grants awarded pursuant to this section shall be used to support, expand, and replicate evidence-based, focused-deterrence collaborative programs that conduct outreach to targeted gangs and offer supportive services in order to preemptively reduce and eliminate violence and gang involvement. These programs shall be primarily designed to reduce violent crimes by bringing together a collaborative partnership to communicate to individuals who are identified as having the highest risk of perpetrating or being victimized by violence or gang involvement in the near future that there are tailored services and support available to help them step away from violence. The supportive services shall include, but are not limited to, job training, health care, and crisis response to shootings and violence, among other services. The department shall give priority for funding to schools, community-based organizations, and nonprofit organizations.
(c) Grants pursuant to this section shall be made on a competitive basis with preference to cities and local jurisdictions that are disproportionately impacted by violence and gang involvement, and with preference to community-based organizations that serve the residents of those cities and local jurisdictions.
(d) An applicant for a grant pursuant to this section shall submit a proposal, in a form prescribed by the department, which shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:
(1) Clearly defined and measurable objectives for the grant.
(2) A statement describing how the applicant proposes to use the grant to implement an evidence-based, focused-deterrence violence reduction initiative in accordance with this section.
(3) A statement describing how the applicant proposes to use the grant to enhance coordination of existing violence prevention and intervention programs and minimize duplication of services.
(4) Evidence indicating that the proposed violence reduction initiative would likely reduce the incidence of homicides, shootings, aggravated assaults, and gang involvement.
(e) In awarding grants pursuant to this section, the department shall give preference to applicants whose grant proposals demonstrate the greatest likelihood of reducing the incidence of violence and gang involvement in the applicant’s community, without contributing to mass incarceration.
(f) The amount of funds awarded to an applicant shall be commensurate with the scope of the applicant’s proposal and the applicant’s demonstrated need for additional resources to address violence in the applicant’s community.
(g) Each grantee shall commit a cash or in-kind contribution equivalent to the amount of the grant awarded under this section. This subdivision does not apply if the grantee is suffering a hardship and is unable to generate matching funds. A grantee may demonstrate the hardship to the Department of Finance, and the Department of Finance shall determine whether the grantee is suffering a hardship. The grantee shall submit any information requested by the Department of Finance for purposes of determining whether a hardship exists.
(h) Each city and other local jurisdiction that receives a grant pursuant to this section shall distribute no less than 50 percent of the grant funds to one or both of the following types of entities:
(1) Community-based organizations.
(2) Public agencies or departments that are primarily dedicated to community safety or violence prevention.
(i) The department shall form a grant selection advisory committee, including, without limitation, persons who have been impacted by violence, formerly incarcerated persons, and persons with direct experience in implementing evidence-based violence and gang involvement reduction initiatives, including initiatives that incorporate public health and community-based approaches.
(j) The department may use up to 7 percent of the funds appropriated for the program described in this section each year for the costs of administering the program, including, without limitation, the employment of personnel, providing technical assistance to grantees, and evaluation of violence and gang involvement reduction initiatives supported by the program pursuant to this section.
(k) Each grantee shall report to the department, in a form and at intervals prescribed by the department, their progress in achieving the grant objectives.
(l) The department shall, by no later than 90 days following the close of each grant cycle, prepare and submit a report to the Legislature in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code regarding the impact of the violence prevention initiatives supported by the program pursuant to this section.
(m) The department shall make evaluations of the grant program available to the public.

14139.
 This title shall be implemented upon appropriation by the Legislature.

SEC. 11.

 Chapter 3.4 (commencing with Section 5660) is added to Division 5 of the Public Resources Code, to read:
CHAPTER  3.4. Parks and Recreation Anti-Violence Initiatives for Youth

5660.
 (a) The department shall award grants to tribal governments and local governments and, with preference, community-based organizations for the purpose of supporting existing and creating new parks and recreation opportunities, as well as supporting existing and creating new summer programs for youth, including, but not limited to, extended park hours and expanded programming for nighttime sports, educational activities, and visual and performing arts opportunities, in order to create and enhance recreation- and health-based interventions for youth during peak times of violence.
(b) In developing the grant program, the department shall do both of the following:
(1) Develop criteria, procedures, and accountability measures as may be necessary to implement the grant program.
(2) Administer the grant program to ensure that priority is given to underserved populations, including both urban and rural areas and low-income communities, where participation in outdoor recreation- and health-based activities will best serve youth as intervention and deterrence from violence.
(c) The department shall give priority for funding to outdoor recreation- and health-based intervention programs during peak times of violence that primarily provide outreach to and serve youth who are impacted by violence and gang involvement in their communities. When available, the department shall additionally give priority for funding to schools, community-based organizations, and nonprofit organizations.
(d) The department may give additional consideration to outdoor recreation- and health-based intervention programs during peak times of violence that do any of the following:
(1) Maximize the number of participants that can be served.
(2) Demonstrate partnerships between public, private, and nonprofit entities.
(3) Contribute to healthy lifestyles, violence prevention and gang deterrence, and improved outdoor recreational and health experiences.
(4) Include service learning and community outreach components for purposes of building partnerships between participants and local communities.
(e) In implementing the grant program, the department shall work with relevant stakeholders to promote and implement the grant program in a manner that effectively reaches a wide geography throughout the state and ensures that regions most impacted by violence and gang involvement are adequately considered with an emphasis on addressing the violence prevention and gang deterrence needs within these regions.
(f) The department may use up to 5 percent of the funds appropriated for the program described in this section each year for the costs of administering the program.

5661.
 The department shall gather information from applicants following each award year for purposes of evaluating the effectiveness of selected programs in achieving the overall objectives of the grant program. Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, the department shall annually summarize and report this information for the previous award year to the appropriate policy, budget, and fiscal committees of the Legislature. The information in the annual report shall include the total number of youth served, the total number and types of entities that received grant awards, appropriate recommendations to improve the grant program, partnerships formed, educational objectives achieved, the total number of applications received, and the total number of youth who would have been served if all applicants for the award year received grant awards.

5662.
 The department shall adopt guidelines it determines are necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter. Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code does not apply to the adoption of guidelines pursuant to this section. The department shall develop a process for public comment and review of the guidelines that involves three public hearings in three different parts of the state before the adoption of those guidelines.

5663.
 This chapter shall be implemented upon appropriation by the Legislature.

SEC. 12.

 Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 1450) of Part 1 of Division 2 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed.

SEC. 13.

 Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 2300) is added to Division 2.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:
CHAPTER  6. Youth Reinvestment Grant Program

2300.
 (a) The Office of Youth and Community Restoration shall establish the Youth Reinvestment Grant Program for the purposes described in this chapter.
(b) The Youth Reinvestment Fund is hereby created. Moneys in the fund shall be available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, only for the purposes of this chapter.
(c) Funds appropriated for the Youth Reinvestment Grant Program shall be allocated as follows:
(1) Three percent shall be used for administrative costs to the office resulting from the implementation of this chapter.
(2) Five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) for evaluation of the Youth Reinvestment Grant Program as described in Section 2305.
(3) Five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) for technical assistance to grantees as described in Section 2305.
(4) Ten percent for Native American youth diversion programs pursuant to Section 2302.
(5) The remaining funds shall be used for youth diversion programs pursuant to Section 2303.

2301.
 For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply:
(a) “Applicant” and “grantee” mean an eligible tribal government, tribal organization, or a nonprofit community-based organization that meets the requirements of Section 2302 or 2303.
(b) “Area of high need” means either of the following:
(1) A city or a ZIP Code with rates of youth arrests that are higher than the county average, based on available arrest data, as described by the applicant.
(2) A city or a ZIP Code with racial or ethnic disparities in youth arrests that are higher than their representation in the county population, as described by the applicant.
(c) “Diversion” means a nonpunitive response to address a youth’s conduct without involving a youth formally in the juvenile justice system.
(d) “Diversion program” means a program that promotes positive youth development by relying on responses that prevent a youth’s involvement or further involvement in the justice system. Diversion programs, which may follow a variety of different models, aim to divert youth from justice system involvement at the earliest possible point.
(e) “Mixed-delivery system” means a system of adolescent development and education support services delivered through a combination of programs, providers, and settings that include partnerships between community-based nonprofit organizations and public agencies and that is supported with a combination of public and private funds.
(f) “Office” means the Office of Youth and Community Restoration.
(g) “Referring agency” means organizations or agencies that may refer youth to diversion programs, including, but not limited to, education, law enforcement, child welfare, behavioral health, and public health entities.
(h) “Trauma-informed” means an approach that involves an understanding of adverse childhood experiences and responding to symptoms of chronic interpersonal trauma and traumatic stress across the lifespan of an individual.
(i) “Youth” means a person who is subject to the jurisdiction of the juvenile court.

2302.
 (a) The office shall allocate funds pursuant to Section 2300 through a three-year competitive grant program for the purpose of implementing a mixed-delivery system of trauma-informed health and development diversion programs for Native American youth.
(b) In addition to the conditions described in Section 2304, an entity is eligible for funding under this section if it is not otherwise excluded by another law, and is one of the following:
(1) A federally recognized Indian tribe, as defined in Section 1603(14) of Title 25 of the United States Code.
(2) A tribal organization, as defined in Section 1603(26) of Title 25 of the United States Code.
(3) An Urban Indian Organization (UIO), as defined in Section 1603(29) of Title 25 of the United States Code.
(4) A nonprofit organization whose board of directors is majority controlled by Native Americans, including organizations that are fiscally sponsored.
(c) Applicants who receive funding from a grant pursuant to this section shall be nongovernmental entities, with the exception of tribal government applicants, and shall not be law enforcement or probation entities.

2303.
 (a) The office shall allocate funds pursuant to Section 2300 through a three-year competitive grant program for the purpose of implementing a mixed-delivery system of trauma-informed health and development diversion programs for youth.
(b) In addition to the conditions described in Section 2304, in order to be eligible, an applicant shall be a nonprofit organization that is tax exempt pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code.
(c) Applicants who receive funding from a grant pursuant to this section shall be nongovernmental entities and shall not be law enforcement or probation entities.

2304.
 The office shall distribute grants pursuant to Sections 2302 and 2303 with all of the following conditions:
(a) An applicant shall be awarded no less than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) and no more than two million dollars ($2,000,000).
(b) Applicants from two or more local jurisdictions may apply for funding under this chapter on a regional effort basis and receive the aggregate amount of funds that they would have received if awarded as an independent applicant.
(c) Grants shall be distributed in three installments. The first installment shall be distributed on the first day of the grant contract. The second installment shall be distributed no later than the first day of the second year of the grant contract. The third installment shall be distributed no later than the first day of the third year of the grant contract. The second and third installments shall be contingent on the applicant fulfilling the grant obligations and reporting requirements to the office.
(d) Funds shall be awarded to applicants who have obtained an official letter from at least one referring agency demonstrating the agency’s intent to refer diverted youth to the diversion program to provide the youth with trauma-informed health and development services. For regional applications, letters of intent shall be required for each jurisdiction proposed in the application.
(e) Diversion services shall be provided in communities described as areas with high needs.
(f) Services shall be evidence based or research supported, trauma informed, culturally relevant, gender responsive, and developmentally appropriate.
(g) Applicants shall have experience effectively serving populations of youth who are juvenile justice system-involved or at-risk of system involvement.
(h) Priority shall be given to organizations that employ people with lived experience as a youth in the juvenile justice system.
(i) Diversion programs shall include alternatives to arrest, incarceration, and formal involvement with the justice system with priority given to programs that divert youth at the earliest possible point of involvement. Diversion programs shall also include one or more of the following:
(1) Educational services, including remedial and college preparation academic services.
(2) Career development services, including employment preparation, vocational training, internships, and apprenticeships.
(3) Mentoring services, including credible messenger services.
(4) Behavioral health services, including substance use treatment.
(5) Mental health services, including culturally rooted healing practices.
(6) Housing services, including permanent, short-term, and emergency housing services.
(7) Personal development and leadership training services.
(8) Prosocial activities, including cultural enrichment programs and services.

2305.
 The office shall be responsible for administration, oversight, and compliance of the program under this chapter and shall perform all the following duties:
(a) Support grantee data collection and analysis and require grantees to demonstrate outcomes of the funded programs.
(b) (1) (A) Set aside five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) of funds appropriated for purposes of the program, exclusive of the funds set aside for administrative costs to the office pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 2300, to contract with a research firm or university to conduct a statewide evaluation of the program and youth outcomes over a three-year grant period.
(B) The research firm or university evaluator shall have a demonstrated commitment to working with communities impacted by the juvenile and criminal justice system.
(C) The research firm or university evaluator shall develop a common assessment instrument for use by grantees to assess the needs and outcomes of youth participants.
(D) The research firm or university evaluator shall design a central data repository to standardize grantee data collection and reporting.
(E) The research firm or university evaluator shall support grantees with use of the common assessment and with collecting and reporting data utilizing the central data repository.
(2) The office shall make available on its internet website a report of grantees, projects, and outcomes at the state and local levels within 180 days of completion of the program.
(3) The office shall assist the research firm or university by providing relevant, existing data for the purposes of tracking outcomes. Outcomes measured may include, but are not limited to, any of the following:
(A) Reductions in law enforcement responses to youth for low-level offenses, court caseloads and processing, days the youth spend in detention, placement of youth in congregate care, school and placement disruptions, and facility staff turnover.
(B) Reduction in the number of school suspensions and expulsions.
(C) Improvement in the health and well-being of the youth, housing and community stability, educational attainment, and connections to employment opportunities.
(D) Projected state and local cost savings as a result of the diversion programming.
(c) (1) Set aside five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) of funds appropriated for purposes of the program, exclusive of the funds set aside for administrative costs and evaluation, to contract with a technical assistance provider to support implementation of the program and to build capacity of grantee organizations.
(2) Support from the technical assistance provider shall include all of the following:
(A) Provide grantees with support in establishing and maintaining relationships with system and community stakeholders, including public agencies, labor unions, tribal governments and communities, nonprofit organizations, and youth and families most impacted by the juvenile justice system.
(B) Provide grantees with training and support in implementing best practices and trauma informed, culturally relevant, gender responsive, and developmentally appropriate approaches to serving youth.
(C) Create peer learning opportunities for grantee organizations to learn from and alongside one another.
(D) Provide grantees with administrative and technical support, in collaboration with the research firm or university evaluator, to ensure compliance with data reporting, evaluation, and applicable laws, including confidentiality and diversion eligibility.
(E) Provide input to the research firm or university evaluator regarding the development of evaluation processes and metrics.
(F) Provide input to the office regarding the development of the program’s requests for proposals.
(3) The technical assistance provider shall have experience in all the following areas:
(A) Developmental research and best practices for serving youth involved in, and youth at risk of involvement in, the juvenile justice system, including children who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and youth in the dependency system.
(B) Research and best practices on systems that refer youths to the juvenile justice system, including the education, immigration, and child welfare systems.
(C) Presenting and disseminating best practices on alternatives to incarceration and system involvement.
(D) Working with and supporting community-based organizations serving youth involved in, and youth at-risk of involvement in, the juvenile justice system in California.
(E) Collaborating with juvenile justice system stakeholders.
(F) Working with and supporting Native American organizations and communities.
(G) Working with juvenile justice system-involved youth and communities and with elevating youth leadership.
(H) Priority shall be given to organizations that employ people with lived experience as youth in the juvenile justice system.
(d) The office shall contract with the research firm or university evaluator and technical assistance provider prior to developing and disseminating the requests for proposals. The office shall solicit and receive input from the university evaluator and technical assistance provider in developing the requests for proposals.

SEC. 14.

 Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 8270) is added to Division 8 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:
CHAPTER  9. Trauma Intervention Program

8270.
 (a) (1) The California Health and Human Services Agency shall administer a grant program to provide funding to local educational agencies, including charter schools, to implement evidence-based interventions for pupils impacted by trauma, and to an organization to study specified pupil outcomes, for the improvement in the health and well-being of the youth and school and community stability.
(2) The agency shall develop an application process and criteria for funding, and shall evaluate applications and award grants under this program.
(3) The agency shall develop a list of evidence-based interventions that local educational agencies receiving funding pursuant to this section may implement.
(4) Local educational agencies applying for funding under this section shall demonstrate how they will prioritize interventions for pupils most impacted by trauma and typically unable to access traditional services, including, but not limited to, pupils who are low income or homeless, display symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder or severe trauma-related symptoms, members of immigrant and refugee groups, pupils with exceptional needs, and pupils who interact with child protective systems or who have had contact with the juvenile justice system.
(5) The agency shall give priority to, but not limit eligibility to, applicants located in the Counties of Alameda, Fresno, Merced, Tulare, Kern, and Los Angeles, as regions most impacted by gun violence.
(b) The agency, when considering the research grant applications, shall give preference to research organizations or universities that meet all of the following criteria:
(1) Study under-resourced, chronically traumatized neighborhoods where community violence is prevalent.
(2) Have a demonstrated track record of collaborating with schools to create trauma-informed and trauma-sensitive school environments.
(3) Have a demonstrated track record of studying children and youth who have received school-based trauma recovery care.
(c) A research organization or university that is awarded a grant shall do all of the following:
(1) Report to the agency annually on how grant funds were spent, expected and current preliminary data outcomes, and treatment outcomes, including academic performance, trauma-related symptom rates, and rates of criminal offenses.
(2) Publish a report to the Legislature by December 1, 2028, regarding the effectiveness of the program in improving child outcomes, including, but not limited to, academic performance, truancy rates, disciplinary actions, and rates of criminal offenses.
(3) Ensure any information disseminated to the public is distributed in accordance with Section 13202 of the Penal Code.
(d) Recipients of grants given pursuant to this section shall, when contracting for services with the grant moneys, give priority to schools, community-based organizations, and nonprofit organizations.
(e) Every five years, the agency shall open eligibility for grants under this program and shall give priority to the top six counties with the highest rate of violent crime and homicide, as reported by the Department of Justice’s annual crime data report.

8271.
 This chapter shall be implemented upon appropriation by the Legislature.

SEC. 15.

 The Legislature finds and declares that a special statute is necessary and that a general statute cannot be made applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution because of the high rate of violent crime in the Counties of Alameda, Fresno, Merced, Tulare, Kern, and Los Angeles.