Amended in Senate June 15, 2014

Amended in Assembly January 23, 2014

Amended in Assembly January 6, 2014

Amended in Assembly March 21, 2013

California Legislature—2013–14 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, 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 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 begin delete , private, end delete or begin insert private end insert 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 begin delete , private, and end delete begin insert or private end insert 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 begin delete or end delete prevention begin insert or intervention or commercial sexual exploitation prevention or intervention end insert . The bill would require each participating county begin delete to compile and collect data on the efficacy of the pilot program and end delete 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. 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 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 begin delete public, private, or end delete begin insert public or private end insert 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 begin insert commercially end insert
sexually exploited begin delete minors end delete begin insert children end insert and have a begin delete public, private, or end delete
begin insert public or private end insert nonprofit organization with experience in child
sexual abuse issues begin insert or commercial sexual exploitation issues end insert 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 begin insert or commercial sexual exploitation
prevention or intervention end insert . 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
begin insert or commercial sexual exploitation end insert .

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 begin delete , private, and end delete begin insert or private end insert 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, begin delete compile and collect
data on the efficacy of the pilot program. end delete begin insert 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. end insert

(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.

begin delete

(5) A complete and accurate accounting of all funds received
and spent pursuant to this section.

(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 child sexual abuse.

(2) Strengthening individual knowledge and skills in identifying
risks and prevention techniques for child sexual abuse.

(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
sexual abuse or sexual 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 report submitted pursuant to subdivision (d) shall be
submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government
Code.

end delete

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.