BILL NUMBER: AB 823	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  AUGUST 15, 2011
	AMENDED IN SENATE  JULY 12, 2011
	AMENDED IN SENATE  JUNE 27, 2011
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 27, 2011
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 28, 2011
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 12, 2011

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Dickinson
    (   Principal coauthor:   Assembly Member
  Beall   ) 
    (   Principal   coauthors:  
Senators   Evans   and Liu   ) 
    (  Coauthors:   Assembly Members  
Butler   and Portantino   ) 

                        FEBRUARY 17, 2011

   An act to add and repeal Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 96050)
of Title 15 of the Government Code, relating to children's services.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 823, as amended, Dickinson. Children's Cabinet of California.
   Existing law, the California Early Intervention Services Act,
requires the Secretary of the Health and Human Services Agency and
the Superintendent of Public Instruction to provide a statewide
system of coordinated, comprehensive, family-centered,
multidisciplinary, interagency programs responsible for providing
appropriate early intervention services and support to all eligible
infants and toddlers and their families.
   This bill would, to the extent that sufficient federal or private
funds are deposited with the state and appropriated by the
Legislature, establish the Children's Cabinet of California to serve,
until January 1, 2019, as an advisory body responsible for improving
the collaboration among agencies that provide services to the
children and youth of the state. This bill would provide that the
cabinet shall be comprised of, among others, the Superintendent of
Public Instruction, the Secretary of California Health and Human
Services, the Chief Justice of California, or his or designee, and
the heads of various specified state agencies. The bill would require
the cabinet to provide recommendations to the Governor and the
Legislature every odd-numbered year.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. 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) The foundation of human development is formed during a child's
earlier years, and early childhood development requires a
comprehensive, coordinated approach to a child's care and learning.
   (b) The education and development of children occur not only in
schools but also in families, neighborhoods, communities, and our
broader society.
   (c) The needs of children are increasingly complex and the
networks of services available to them are managed by multiple
agencies and departments, often with differing goals and objectives.
   (d) Government programs must collaboratively develop and implement
effective, efficient, and coordinated service delivery to ensure
that all of California's children have an equal opportunity to reach
their full potential.
   (e) The State of California must comprehensively address the needs
of each of its children and youth and provide the understanding,
encouragement, support, services, and knowledge necessary for each of
them to master the skills and competencies that work, life, and
active citizenship require.
   (f) It is critical to California's children that issues affecting
their well-being be considered at the highest level of state
government.
  SEC. 2.  Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 96050) is added to
Title 15 of the Government Code, to read:
      CHAPTER 2.  CHILDREN'S CABINET OF CALIFORNIA


   96050.  (a) The Children's Cabinet of California is hereby
established within state government, which shall serve as an advisory
body responsible for improving the collaboration among agencies that
provide services to the children and youth of the state.
   (b) The cabinet shall advise and make recommendations to the
Governor and the Legislature on ways to improve the delivery of
services to children and youth and their families.
   (c) The cabinet shall be comprised of the following members:
   (1) The Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Secretary of
California Health and Human Services, who shall serve as cochairs.
   (2) The Chief Justice of California, or his or her designee.
   (3) The Secretary of the Department of Corrections and
Rehabilitation, or his or her designee.
   (4) The Director of Social Services.
   (5) The Director of Health Care Services.
   (6) The State Public Health Officer.
   (7) The Director of Mental Health.
   (8) The Director of Alcohol and Drug Programs.
   (9) The Director of Developmental Services.
   (10) The Director of Child Support Services.
   (11) Two Members of the Assembly, as appointed by the Speaker of
the Assembly.
   (12) Two members of the Senate, as appointed by the Senate
Committee on Rules.
   (13) Additional members that may be appointed at the will of the
Governor.
   (d) Staffing of the cabinet shall be a shared responsibility among
the cochairs of the  cabinetto   cabinet to
 the extent federal or private funds are made available for this
purpose.
   (e) (1) Upon call of the cochairs, the cabinet shall  hold
public meetings at least quarterly.   meet, at a
minimum, quarterly. 
   (2) The cabinet may establish committees to further its work.
Committees shall consist of at least one cabinet member and others as
the cabinet requires.
   (3) Members of the committees shall receive no compensation from
the state for their services, except that they may be reimbursed for
actual travel and related expenses in accordance with state policy.
   (4) The cabinet shall submit a report to the Governor and the
Legislature on or before October 31, of each odd-numbered year,
notwithstanding Section 10231.5. The report shall include, but shall
not be limited to, recommendations on ways to improve coordination of
services to children, youth, and their families, including, but not
limited to, all of the following:
   (A) Developing and implementing a shared vision and a strategic
plan on how best to establish cross-agency coordination.
   (B) Establishing baseline goals and benchmarks for assessing the
extent to which state agencies successfully strengthen their
cooperation and collaboration in providing services to children,
youth, and their families.
   (C) Identifying and implementing evidence-based practices for the
effective and efficient delivery of services.
   (f) The Bureau of State Audits may conduct a performance audit of
the cabinet established pursuant to this chapter and report its
finding to the board and the Legislature on or before January 1,
2018.
   96051.  (a) The Children's Cabinet of California shall be
established pursuant to this chapter only after a determination has
been made by the Department of Finance that federal or private funds
in an amount sufficient to fully support the activities of the
cabinet, including staffing of the cabinet and development and
distribution of the biennial report, have been deposited with the
state.
   (b) Upon a determination by the Department of Finance that there
are sufficient federal or private funds to fully support the
activities of the cabinet as described in subdivision (a), the funds
shall be made available to the cabinet for the purposes described in
this chapter upon appropriation by the Legislature.
   (c) Upon making a determination that sufficient funds have been
deposited pursuant to this section, the Department of Finance shall
file a written notice to that effect with the Chief Clerk of the
Assembly and the Secretary of the Senate.
   96052.  This chapter 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.