BILL NUMBER: AB 883 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 21, 2013
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Cooley
FEBRUARY 22, 2013
An act to add Article 7 (commencing with Section 18974) to 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.
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.
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to
establishes the Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Program
to create a pilot program in each participating
county to provide child sexual abuse prevention and
intervention services or fully fund agencies and private or
nonprofit programs that provide child sexual abuse
prevention and intervention those services.
The bill would annually appropriate 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 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 or prevention. The bill would also make
related findings and declarations.
Vote: majority 2/3 . Appropriation:
no yes . Fiscal committee: no
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 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
billion per year.
(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) It is the intent of the Legislature to
The Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Program is hereby
established as a pilot program in each participating county to
provide child sexual abuse prevention and intervention services or
fully fund agencies and private or nonprofit programs that
provide child sexual abuse prevention and intervention services
by creating a pilot program in each county to provide those
services .
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to provide a
minimum of $70,000 The sum of seventy
thousand dollars ($70,000) is hereby appropriated annually from the
General Fund to each county for the
that conducts a pilot program under the
provisions of this article to prevent and reduce child sexual abuse
.
(c) Each 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 have demonstrated effectiveness in child
sexual abuse prevention or intervention.
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) The Any school district.
18974.2. (a) Each pilot program may propose a multiyear plan that
identifies how to advance all of the following objectives:
(1) Fostering community coalitions and networks for preventing and
reducing child sexual abuse.
(2) Strengthening individual knowledge and skills in identifying
risks and prevention techniques of child sexual abuse.
(3) Promoting community education.
(4) Educating providers of children services.
(5) Changing children's organizations practices to reduce the
possibility of child sexual abuse.
(b) Each pilot program may create guidelines to assess the
community's overall understanding of child sexual abuse.
(c) 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) Each pilot program may develop local prevention plans.