Amended in Senate March 20, 2014

Senate Bill No. 909

Introduced by Senator Pavley

January 23, 2014

An act to amend Section 369 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to juveniles.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 909, as amended, Pavley. Dependent children: health screenings.

Existing law provides that a child may become a dependent child of the juvenile court under certain circumstances, including in cases of abuse and neglect. Existing law authorizes a peace officer, without a warrant, to take a minor into temporary custody when there is reasonable cause to believe the minor comes within the jurisdiction of the juvenile court. Under existing law, a social worker is required to acquire the consent of a parent or permission from the court to authorize medical, surgical, dental, or other remedial care to a child who is in temporary custody. Existing law permits, under specified emergency conditions, a licensed physician to provide emergency medical, surgical, or other remedial care to a child in temporary custody without the consent of a parent or permission from the court.

This bill would additionally permit a social worker to authorize an initial medical, dental, and mental health screening of a child in temporary custody, without parental consent or a court order. The bill would also add mental health treatment to the medical and dental care that may be authorized for a child who is a dependent of the juvenile court, who is in temporary custody, or for whom a dependency petition has been filed.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. 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) The state has a compelling interest in ensuring the physical
and mental health of children in the child welfare system.

(b) Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Child
Welfare League of America have found children entering foster
care to be in poor health with chronic and acute health,
developmental, and psychiatric disorders.

(c) The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that upon
entry into foster care every child receive an initial health screening
to identify any immediate medical, dental, or mental health care
needs.

(d) The completion of an initial health screening as
recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics will
improve the health of children entering foster care.

SEC. 2.  

Section 369 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is
amended to read:

369.  

(a) Whenever a child is taken into temporary custody
under Article 7 (commencing with Section 305), the social worker
may authorize an initial medical, dental, and mental health
screening of the child, prior to the detention hearing held pursuant
to Section 319, for any of the following purposes:

(1) To determine whether the child has an urgent medical, dental,
or mental health need that requires immediate attention.

(2) To determine whether the child poses a health risk to other
persons.

(3) To determine an appropriate placement to meet the child’s
medical and mental health care needs begin insert identified in the initial health
screening end insert .

(b) Whenever a child is taken into temporary custody under
Article 7 (commencing with Section 305) and is in need of medical,
surgical, mental health, dental, or other remedial care, the social
worker may, upon the recommendation of the attending physician
and surgeon or begin delete licensed end delete mental health provider, or, if the begin delete person end delete
begin insert child end insert needs dental care and there is an attending dentist, the
attending dentist, authorize the performance of the medical,
surgical, mental health, dental, or other remedial care. The social
worker shall notify the parent, guardian, or person standing in loco
parentis of the begin delete person end delete begin insert child end insert , if any, of the care found to be needed
before that care is provided, and if the parent, guardian, or person
standing in loco parentis objects, that care shall be given only upon
order of the court in the exercise of its discretion.

(c) Whenever it appears to the juvenile court that a begin delete person end delete begin insert child end insert
concerning whom a petition has been filed with the court is in need
of medical, surgical, mental health, dental, or other remedial care,
and that there is no parent, guardian, or person standing in loco
parentis capable of authorizing or willing to authorize the remedial
care or treatment for that begin delete person end delete begin insert child end insert , the court, upon the written
recommendation of a licensed physician and surgeon or begin delete licensed end delete
mental health provider, or, if the begin delete person end delete begin insert child end insert needs dental care, a
licensed dentist, and after due notice to the parent, guardian, or
person standing in loco parentis, if any, may make an order
authorizing the performance of the necessary medical, surgical,
mental health, dental, or other remedial care for that begin delete person end delete begin insert child end insert .

(d) Whenever a dependent child of the juvenile court is placed
by order of the court within the care and custody or under the
supervision of a social worker of the county where the dependent
child resides and it appears to the court that there is no parent,
guardian, or person standing in loco parentis capable of authorizing
or willing to authorize medical, surgical, mental health, dental, or
other remedial care or treatment for the dependent child, the court
may, after due notice to the parent, guardian, or person standing
in loco parentis, if any, order that the social worker may authorize
the medical, surgical, mental health, dental, or other remedial care
for the dependent child, by licensed practitioners, as necessary.

(e) Whenever it appears that a child otherwise within subdivision
(a), (b), (c), or (d) requires immediate emergency medical, surgical,
mental health, or other remedial care in an emergency situation,
that care may be provided by a licensed physician and surgeon or
begin delete licensed end delete mental health provider, or, if the child needs dental care
in an emergency situation, by a licensed dentist, without a court
order and upon authorization of a social worker. The social worker
shall make reasonable efforts to obtain the consent of, or to notify,
the parent, guardian, or person standing in loco parentis prior to
authorizing emergency medical, surgical, mental health, dental,
or other remedial care. “Emergency situation,” for the purposes
of this subdivision means a child requires immediate treatment for
the alleviation of severe pain or an immediate diagnosis and
treatment of an unforeseeable medical, surgical, mental health,
dental, or other remedial condition or contagious disease which if
not immediately diagnosed and treated, would lead to serious
disability or death.

(f) In any case in which the court orders the performance of any
medical, surgical, mental health, dental, or other remedial care
pursuant to this section, the court may also make an order
authorizing the release of information concerning that care to social
workers, parole officers, or any other qualified individuals or
agencies caring for or acting in the interest and welfare of the child
under order, commitment, or approval of the court.

(g) Nothing in this section shall be construed as limiting the
right of a parent, guardian, or person standing in loco parentis,
who has not been deprived of the custody or control of the child
by order of the court, in providing any medical, surgical, mental
health, dental, or other remedial treatment recognized or permitted
under the laws of this state.

(h) The parent of a begin delete person end delete begin insert child end insert described in this section may
authorize the performance of medical, surgical, mental health,
dental, or other remedial care provided for in this section
notwithstanding his or her age or marital status. In nonemergency
situations, the parent authorizing the care shall notify the other
parent prior to the administration of that care.

(i) Nothing in this section shall be construed as limiting the
rights of dependent children, pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing
with Section 6920) of Part 4 of Division 11 of the Family Code,
to consent to, among other things, the diagnosis and treatment of
sexual assault, medical care relating to the prevention or treatment
of pregnancy, including contraception, abortion, and prenatal care,
treatment of infectious, contagious, or communicable diseases,
mental health treatment, and treatment for alcohol and drug abuse.
If a dependent child is 12 years of age or older, his or her social
worker is authorized to inform the child of his or her right as a
minor to consent to and receive those health services, as necessary.
Social workers are authorized to provide dependent children access
to age-appropriate, medically accurate information about sexual
development, reproductive health, and prevention of unplanned
pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.

begin insert

(j) Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect the
application of Division 105 (commencing with Section 120100) of
the Health and Safety Code with regard to communicable disease
prevention and control.

end insert begin insert

(k) For purposes of this section, the term “mental health
provider” has the same meaning as that term is defined in
subdivision (a) of Section 865 of the Business and Professions
Code.

end insert