BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 346
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 17, 2013
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mike Gatto, Chair
AB 346 (Stone) - As Amended: April 1, 2013
Policy Committee: Human
ServicesVote:7 - 0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
Yes Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill expands the definition of a community care facility to
include an emergency youth shelter facility. In addition, it
requires the Department of Social Services (DSS) to license
those facilities that meet the definition of an emergency youth
shelter.
FISCAL EFFECT
1)Costs for DSS to create a subcategory for these facilities
under the existing group home licensing category would be
minor and absorbable within existing resources.
2)Emergency youth shelters in California receive from $5 million
to $7 million per year in funding in federal Runaway and
Homeless Youth Act funding. The federal government requires
shelters to comply with state licensing laws in order to
receive the funding. Absent this legislation and the clarity
it provides, California shelters may lose their federal
funding.
COMMENTS
1)Rationale . This bill, sponsored by DSS, creates a licensing
subcategory specific to emergency youth shelters that provide
temporary shelter for homeless youth, thus allowing these
facilities to avoid the more cumbersome requirements
associated with the licensing of group homes. The author
states the lack of a licensing category specific to emergency
youth shelters has resulted in wide variation across the state
AB 346
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in how these shelters are treated by state licensing
authorities. While some may receive a full waiver from
licensure, other shelters are required to pursue a group home
license with waivers granted by the Community Care Licensing
Division (CCLD) to specific components of group home licensing
standards or regulations that may not be applicable to the
type of care and supervision provided by a short-term
emergency shelter. For example, group home regulations do not
allow providers to use bunk beds, so some homeless youth
shelters have qualified for a CCLD waiver to allow for the use
of bunk beds in their shelter facilities.
Emergency youth shelters are designed to provide voluntary and
short-term shelter to youth who are homeless or runaways at
risk of homelessness. There are 33 such homeless youth
shelters operating in California, according to the sponsor,
the California Coalition for Youth. Most of these shelters
receive federal funding provided through the federal Runaway
and Homeless Youth Act. These shelters - with their voluntary
and temporary nature - contrast with foster group homes, which
are for dependents of the court or for children and youth
judged by a county social worker to be at risk of abuse or
neglect. Children placed in foster group homes by a
supervising county or tribal agency may live in the group home
for extended periods of time, whereas emergency youth shelters
are meant to be short-term interventions for youth who
voluntarily seek their crisis and shelter services.
2)Related Legislation . A similar bill, SB 119 (Lowenthal) in
2011, was not pursued by the author because the administration
thought this problem could be solved administratively. That
bill was never set for a hearing in this committee. DSS,
however, has since determined that legislation is necessary.
Analysis Prepared by : Julie Salley-Gray / APPR. / (916)
319-2081