BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1997
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Date of Hearing: May 18, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Lorena Gonzalez, Chair
AB
1997 (Mark Stone) - As Amended April 5, 2016
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: YesReimbursable:
No
SUMMARY:
This bill adopts clarifying and technical changes to further the
implementation of Continuum of Care Reform (CCR) in the state's
foster care system.
AB 1997
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FISCAL EFFECT:
The Governor's 2016-17 Budget (including May Revision) includes
$182 million ($127 million GF) to continue to implement CCR
contained in AB 403 (Stone, Chapter 773, Statutes of 2015),
including all of the provisions of this bill.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. According to the author, "This bill builds upon
comprehensive 2015 legislation that advances California's
long-standing goal to move away from the use of long-term
group home care by increasing youth placement in family
settings and by transforming existing group home care into
places where youth who are not ready to live with families can
receive short term, intensive treatment.
Due to extensive ongoing collaboration between stakeholders,
ongoing required workgroups discussing implementation of AB
403 (Stone, Chapter 773, Statues of 2015) implementation, and
the substantial policy changes created by AB 403, additional
clarifying legislation is necessary. This bill will clarify
and address several topics related to CCR, including mental
health services, out-of-state group homes, accreditation and
licensing, federal compliance, child and family teams (CFTs),
new facility transition processes, and further resource family
approval (RFA) statewide implementation. The technical and
policy updates in this measure follow up on the new law to
provide youth with the support they need in foster care to
return to their families or to find a permanent home if
returning to their families is not an option."
2)Continuum of Care Reform. SB 1013 (Senate Budget and Fiscal
AB 1997
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Review) Chapter 35, Statutes of 2012, realigned Child Welfare
Services (CWS) to counties, and, among other provisions,
required DSS to convene a stakeholder workgroup. This
workgroup was charged with examining the use of group homes in
California and providing recommendations to the Legislature
and the Governor on how to reform this use. In January 2015,
DSS submitted the Continuum of Care (CCR) workgroup report to
the Legislature, which included general and fiscal
recommendations, alongside recommendations on home-based
family care, residential treatment, and performance measures
and outcomes. The report reinforced the view that group home
settings are best used sparingly and temporarily. This bill
continues the implementation of CCR reform.
3)Related Legislation. AB 2597 (Cooley), also before this
Committee on May 18, makes various changes to the Resource
Family Approval (RFA) process to account for the unique needs
of relative caregivers.
4)Prior Legislation.
a) AB 403 (Stone), Chapter 773, Statutes of 2015,
implemented Continuum of Care Reform (CCR) recommendations
to better serve children and youth in California's child
welfare services system.
b) SB 1013 (Senate Budget and Fiscal Review) Chapter 35,
Statutes of 2012, realigned the child welfare services
system to counties, established a moratorium on the
licensing of new group homes, and required the Department
of Social Services to convene a workgroup to discuss and
recommend changes to the continuum of care within child
welfare services and how to reform the use of congregate
care.
AB 1997
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Analysis Prepared by:Jennifer Swenson / APPR. / (916)
319-2081