AB 1067, as amended, Gipson. Foster children: rights.
Existing law provides that it is the policy of the state that all minors and nonminors in foster care have specified rights, including, among others, the right to be free of the administration of medication or chemical substances, unless authorized by a physician.
This bill would require the State Department of Social Services to convene a working groupbegin delete to develop standardized information aboutend deletebegin insert regardingend insert the specified rights of all minors and nonminors in foster care in order to educate them, foster care providers, and others, and would require the working group to be composed of, among others, thebegin delete Californiaend deletebegin insert
Countyend insert Welfare Directors Associationbegin insert of Californiaend insert and foster children advocacy groups.begin insert The bill would provide the responsibilities of the working group, including making recommendations to the Legislature, by January 1, 2018, for revising the rights, and developing standardized information regarding the revised rights, by July 1, 2018, as specified.end insert
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 16001.8 is added to the Welfare and
2Institutions Code, to read:
begin insert(a)end insertbegin insert end insert The State Department of Social Services shall
4convene a working groupbegin delete to develop standardized information begin insert regardingend insert the rights of all minors and nonminors in foster
5aboutend delete
6care, as specified in Section 16001.9, in order to educatebegin delete them,end delete
7begin insert
foster youth,end insert foster care providers, and others.begin delete Theend deletebegin insert Responsibilities
8of the working group shall include all of the following:end insert
9(1) By January 1, 2018, make recommendations to the
10Legislature for revising the rights based on a review of state law.
11(2) By July 1, 2018, develop standardized information regarding
12the revised rights in an age-appropriate manner and reflective of
13any relevant licensing requirements with respect to the foster care
14providers’ responsibilities to adequately supervise
children in
15care.
16(3) By July 1, 2018, develop recommendations regarding
17methods for disseminating the standardized information specified
18in paragraph (2).
19(4) By July 1, 2018, develop recommendations for measuring
20and improving, if necessary, the degree to which foster youth are
21adequately informed of their rights.
22begin insert (b)end insertbegin insert end insertbegin insertTheend insert working group shall be composed of all
of the
23following:
24(1) The Office of the State Foster Care Ombudsperson.
end insert9 25(a)
end delete
26begin insert(2)end insert Thebegin delete Californiaend deletebegin insert
Countyend insert Welfare Directorsbegin delete Association.end delete
27begin insert
Association of California.end insert
10 28(b)
end delete29begin insert(3)end insert The Chief Probation Officers of California.
begin insert
30(4) The County Behavioral Health Directors Association of
31California.
32(5) Current and former foster youth.
end insertbegin insert33(6) Foster parents and caregivers.
end insert11 34(c)
end delete35begin insert(7)end insert Foster children advocacy groups.
12 P3 1(d)
end delete2begin insert(8)end insert Foster care facilities associations.
13 3(e)
end delete4begin insert(9)end insert Any other interested parties.
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