BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                      



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          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                   AB 823|
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                                 THIRD READING


          Bill No:  AB 823
          Author:   Dickinson (D), et al.
          Amended:  6/13/12 in Senate
          Vote:     21

           
           SENATE HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE  :  4-3, 7/5/11
          AYES:  Liu, Hancock, Wright, Yee
          NOES:  Emmerson, Berryhill, Strickland

           SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE  :  5-2, 8/16/12
          AYES:  Kehoe, Alquist, Lieu, Price, Steinberg
          NOES:  Walters, Dutton
           
          ASSEMBLY FLOOR  :  52-24, 6/1/11 - See last page for vote


           SUBJECT  :    California Childrens Coordinating Council

           SOURCE  :     Children Now


           DIGEST  :    This bill establishes the California Childrens 
          Coordinating Council 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, as specified; provides that the council 
          shall be comprised of, among others, the Superintendent of 
          Public Instruction (SPI), the Secretary of the Health and 
          Human Services Agency (HHSA), the Chief Justice of 
          California, or his/her designee, the Attorney General, and 
          the heads of various specified state agencies; requires the 
          Council to provide recommendations to the Governor and the 
                                                           CONTINUED





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          Legislature every odd-numbered year; becomes operative upon 
          a determination by the Department of Finance (DOF) and the 
          Secretary of the HHSA that sufficient federal or private 
          funds are available; and makes various legislative findings 
          and declarations.

           ANALYSIS  :    

          Existing law:

          1. Establishes the CDE, the HHSA, the California Supreme 
             Court, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation 
             (CDCR), the Department of Social Services, Department of 
             Health Care Services, Department of Public Health, 
             Department of Mental Health, Department of Alcohol and 
             Drug Programs, Department of Developmental Services, and 
             Department of Child Support Services.

          2. Establishes the constitutional offices of the SPI, 
             elected every four years, and the chief justice of the 
             California Supreme Court, appointed by the Governor for 
             a 12-year term.

          3. Establishes the office of the Secretary of CDCR and the 
             Secretary of the HHSA.

          4. Provides, in the California Constitution, that statute 
             may provide authority to the Governor to assign and 
             reorganize functions among executive officers and 
             agencies and their employees, other than elective 
             officers and agencies administered by elective officers.

          5. Establishes a state board of education as the governing 
             and policy-making body of the CDE.

          6. Establishes a child welfare council, chaired by the 
             chief justice of the California Supreme Court and the 
             Secretary of the HHSA, to consider recommendations to 
             improve child and youth outcomes through increased 
             collaboration and coordination among the programs, 
             services, and processes administered by the multiple 
             agencies and courts that serve children and youth in 
             California's child welfare system.  (Welfare and 
             Institutions Code Sections 16540-16545)







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          7. Establishes a child development advisory committee to 
             advise the Legislature, the Governor, and the SPI on 
             policies and programs for children birth through school 
             age.  (Education Code Section 8286)

          This bill establishes the Children's Cabinet within state 
          government serving as an advisory body to improve 
          collaboration among agencies serving children and youth in 
          California.  It provides that the Cabinet be co-chaired by 
          the SPI and the Secretary of the HHSA, and consist of 13 
          other members, including the chief justice (or designee), 
          the Secretary of CDCR (or designee), the directors of the 
          departments of social services, health care services, 
          public health, mental health, alcohol and drug programs, 
          developmental services, and child support services, two 
          members of the Assembly (appointed by the Speaker) and two 
          members of the Senate (appointed by the President pro 
          Tempore), as well as additional members that the Governor 
          may choose to appoint.  None of the members will receive 
          compensation, but this bill explicitly states that they may 
          be reimbursed for "travel and related expenses."

           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  Yes   
          Local:  No

          According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, 
          hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, to staff the 
          Council, depending on the scope of its activities.  
          Substantial workload to convene the Council. Significant 
          cost pressure to conduct the permitted BSA audit.  This 
          bill is likely to result in General Fund pressure to 
          begin activities related to the Cabinet before federal or 
          private funding is received; otherwise, it will be very 
          difficult for the DOF to decide what constitutes a 
          sufficient level of funding. 

           SUPPORT  :   (Verified  8/20/12)

          Children Now (source)
          American Federation of State, County and Municipal 
          Employees American Academy of Pediatrics
          ASPIRAnet
          Atwater Policy Activities League







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          Bay Area Council
          California Alternative Payment Program Association 
          California Children's Health Initiative 
          California Children's Hospital Association
          California Coalition for Youth
          California Correctional Peace Officers Association 
          California School Health Centers Association
          California School Nurses Association
          California State Association of Counties 
          California State PTA
          Child Abuse Prevention Center
          Children's Defense Fund California
          Children's Partnership
          Community Social Model Advocates, Inc.
          Family Paths, Inc.
          Family Violence Law Center
          Fight Crime: Invest in Kids California
          First 5, Los Angeles
          First 5, Santa Clara County
          Judicial Option.Com
          Link to Children
          Lucile Packard Children's Hospital
          Marin Community Clinics
          Marin County Office of Education
          Marin Kids
          Merced County Local Child Care and Development 
          Merced County Office of Education
          Mission Focused Solutions
          North Regional SELPA Planning Council
          Plumas Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children 
          Professional Association for Childhood Education
          Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors
          Yolo County Children's Alliance and Child Abuse Prevention 
          Council

           ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT  :    The author's office believes that 
          the state's budget crisis and the effort to realign some 
          state and county services demands improved coordination to 
          ensure efficient and effective delivery of services, 
          elimination of duplicate efforts, maximizing federal funds, 
          establishing priorities, and using outcome measures for 
          children.

          The author's office states that 18 states, including 







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          Florida, Maine, Rhode Island, and West Virginia, have 
          children's cabinets.


           ASSEMBLY FLOOR  :  52-24, 6/1/11
          AYES:  Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Beall, Block, 
            Blumenfield, Bonilla, Bradford, Brownley, Buchanan, 
            Butler, Charles Calderon, Campos, Carter, Cedillo, 
            Chesbro, Davis, Dickinson, Eng, Feuer, Fong, Fuentes, 
            Furutani, Galgiani, Gatto, Gordon, Hall, Hayashi, Roger 
            Hern�ndez, Hill, Huber, Hueso, Huffman, Lara, Bonnie 
            Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Mitchell, Monning, Norby, Pan, 
            Perea, Portantino, Skinner, Solorio, Swanson, Torres, 
            Wieckowski, Williams, Yamada, John A. P�rez
          NOES:  Achadjian, Bill Berryhill, Conway, Cook, Donnelly, 
            Fletcher, Beth Gaines, Grove, Hagman, Halderman, Harkey, 
            Jones, Knight, Logue, Mansoor, Miller, Morrell, Nestande, 
            Nielsen, Olsen, Silva, Smyth, Valadao, Wagner
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Garrick, Gorell, Jeffries, V. Manuel 
            P�rez


          CTW:m  8/20/12   Senate Floor Analyses 

                         SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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