BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 347
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SENATE THIRD READING
SB 347 (Beall)
As Amended May 7, 2013
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE :39-0
HUMAN SERVICES 7-0 APPROPRIATIONS 17-0
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|Ayes:|Stone, Maienschein, |Ayes:|Gatto, Harkey, Bigelow, |
| |Ammiano, | |Bocanegra, Bradford, Ian |
| |Ian Calderon, Garcia, | |Calderon, Campos, |
| |Grove, Hall | |Donnelly, Eggman, Gomez, |
| | | |Hall, Holden, Linder, |
| | | |Pan, Quirk, Wagner, Weber |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Amends the Youth Center and Youth Shelter Bond Act of
1988 (Act) to allow counties awarded funds to re-purpose funds
for future youth shelters. Specifically, this bill :
1)Revises the Act to permit a county to repurpose unexpended
bond funds initially awarded for the construction of shelters
for abused and neglected children and use those funds for
shelters for runaway or homeless youth.
2)Exempts counties from repaying bond funds if the money was
initially allocated for shelters for abused and neglected
children and later used for shelters for runaway or homeless
youth.
3)Permits counties to use funds awarded under the Act to provide
grant awards to private nonprofit entities for the
acquisition, renovation, construction, or purchase of
equipment for a youth shelter.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee:
1)Near-term loss of revenue of at least $1 million (General
Fund) from the recent sale proceeds of property in Santa Clara
County subject to repayment provisions under current law. The
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actual repayment amount, which has yet to be determined, would
be the proportion of the current value of the property equal
to the proportional share of state funds contributed to the
original cost of the project.
2)Potential future loss of revenue of at least $1 million
(General Fund) for funds awarded to San Diego County should
the county violate its contract obligations prior to September
2014.
COMMENTS : In the 1980s and into the 1990s, California voters
considered a number of state obligation bonds to fund the
construction or renovation of county and state operated
correctional facilities to address issues related to
overcrowding. The number of bonds was fairly substantial,
totaling over $4 billion in general obligation bonds approved
over a nine year period.
Of the bonds adopted, only Proposition 86 in 1988 provided
funding for the development or renovation of youth shelters and
centers. Recognizing the need to provide alternative and
preventative services for youth who were at-risk of becoming
involved with the juvenile justice system, $25 million was
allocated for youth centers and shelters.
Repurposing of funds : Nearly 15 years has passed since the
adoption of Proposition 86 in 1988, and only a handful of
counties have been able to benefit from the limited amount of
funds made available through this bond act. Recognizing that
many youth shelters and centers are operated by local nonprofit
agencies on minimal budgets that rely on philanthropic
donations, grants, and volunteers, removing a needed resource
for services to at-risk, homeless, or runaway youth could have a
detrimental effect.
Understanding the supply and demand for homeless youth services :
Established by the California Research Bureau (CRB) in 2006, in
collaboration with the Council on Youth Relations (CYR), the
Homeless Youth Project (HYP) is a multi-year research and policy
initiative tasked with highlighting and raising awareness about
the homeless youth population and its challenges, and presenting
solutions to help address California's homeless youth
population.
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According to the HYP, based on national survey estimates and
California's youth population, it is estimated that there are
200,000 youth under the age of 18 and potentially thousands of
persons aged 18-24 who are homeless. While this is an
approximation of the number of homeless youth in California, the
number is likely to be greater given the challenges involved in
the identification of homeless youth. For purpose of this
population, "homeless youth" typically describes minors under
the age of 18, and 18 to 24-year-olds, who are economically or
emotionally detached from their families and have an unstable
and inadequate living environment, or are periodically or
chronically homeless.
The causes of youth homelessness are varied and complex. They
range from runaway youth to emancipated foster youth to
disengaged youth due to the lack of an adult figure in their
life or a lack of access to appropriate services. Due to their
unique circumstances, research has shown that homeless youth are
at a greater risk of physical and sexual abuse, sexual
exploitation, alcohol and drug abuse, mental health
disabilities, and death. Additionally, the social, emotional,
medical, economic and personal challenges homeless youth face,
when coupled with the lack of effective, coordinated services to
help them find and keep stable housing and reach
self-sufficiency, can lead to ongoing and chronic cycles of
homelessness throughout their lifetime.
In a 2010 survey of local, state and federal programs, the HYP
was able to identify 53 programs that offered just over 1,000
beds for homeless youth throughout the state. Given that the
current estimate of homeless youth amounts to more than 200,000
individuals, this demonstrates a significant gap between the
size of California's homeless youth population and the number of
programs and services available to meet their needs.
Analysis Prepared by : Chris Reefe / HUM. S. / (916) 319-2089
FN: 0002179
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