BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 2186
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ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 2186 (Grove)
As Amended May 1, 2012
Majority vote
HUMAN SERVICES 6-0 APPROPRIATIONS 17-0
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|Ayes:|Beall, Jones, Ammiano, |Ayes:|Fuentes, Harkey, |
| |Grove, Hall, Portantino | |Blumenfield, Bradford, |
| | | |Charles Calderon, Campos, |
| | | |Davis, Donnelly, Gatto, |
| | | |Ammiano, Hill, Lara, |
| | | |Mitchell, Nielsen, Norby, |
| | | |Solorio, Wagner |
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SUMMARY : Recasts and codifies the Youth Emergency Telephone
Referral (YETR) Project and requires the California Emergency
Management Agency (CalEMA) to either administer the YETR Project
directly or as a grant program issued through a competitive
bidding process. Specifically, this bill :
1)Allows the CalEMA to administer the YETR Project as a program
within the agency or competitively award it to a non-profit
organization through a competitive bidding process.
2)Requires the YETR Project to:
a) Operate a statewide 24-hour youth emergency telephone
hotline for homeless or runaway youth;
b) Provide access to trained volunteer or paid counselors
for youth who call into the emergency telephone hotline;
c) Provide referrals for youth who call the emergency
telephone hotline to appropriate services that provide
shelter, meals, clothing, counseling or other related or
necessary services; and,
d) Serve as a message center for homeless or runaway youth
who wish to communicate with their parent or guardian;
3)Provides that, if CalEMA issues the YETR Project through a
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competitively bid grant process, it shall oversee the grant
recipients to ensure compliance with program requirements and
objectives.
4)Requires CalEMA or its grantee to establish and operate a
24-hour statewide toll-free emergency telephone number, which
shall be provided by a telephone services provider that can
provide the most efficient services at the lowest cost.
5)Requires CalEMA or its grantee to publicize the emergency
telephone hotline via print and electronic media.
6)Requires CalEMA or its grantee to cooperate with other like
services, including local, statewide or national services in
order to coordinate and aide in the provision of services for
homeless or runaway youth.
7)Deletes the requirement that the YETR Project be headquartered
in Sacramento.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Finds and declares that the problem of runaway children is one
of major significance, causing great suffering both for
parents, which can cause uncertainty and worry, and result in
runaways becoming the victims of crime, including forced
prostitution, drug abuse, and death.
2)Establishes the YETR Project to serve as a free and
non-threatening telephone referral service for runaways and
homeless youth that provides referrals for available
resources, including medical, meals, clothing and other
related services.
3)Requires the YETR Project to be headquartered in Sacramento in
facilities owned or leased by the state. If located in leased
space, the rate paid shall not exceed the least amount paid
for state leased facilities.
4)If issued to a grantee, the CalEMA is required to utilize the
provider that can provide the most efficient services at the
lowest cost.
5)Requires the YETR Project to conduct outreach to advertise the
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existence of the hotline and cooperate and coordinate with
other local, state and national services so as to aide rather
than preempt other like services.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, there are no new direct costs associated with this
legislation. CalEMA has been operating the YETR hot-line for
over 12 years. This bill would codify the activities of the
hot-line, though the appropriation language is already in
statute. For 2011-12 the program received $214,000 ($114,000
GF) in funding. For 2012-13, the federal Victims of Crime Act
(VOCA) funding component will be reduced from $100,000 to
$87,640.
COMMENTS :
Background . The Legislature has historically found and declared
that the identification of services for at-risk youth is a
priority for the state. Numerous studies have documented the
increasing challenges youth face in society, from substance
abuse, crime, victimization and gangs to unhealthy or abusive
home environments. These influences at a young age can lead to
youth being put at greater risk of abuse and neglect, which, if
not addressed through counseling, mentorship or other like
supports, can lead to minors running away from home, engaging in
drug or substance abuse, become homeless and or lead to their
death.
In an effort to provide a free and welcoming resource for youth
who have run away from home or have become homeless, the
Legislature passed AB 3075 (Chacon), Chapter 1614, Statutes of
1984. This measure established the YETR Project to provide a
welcoming and free telephone hotline for runaway or homeless
youth to connect with local services, such as a shelter,
counseling, access to a warm meal, or a way to communicate with
their parent or guardian. AB 3075 requires the appropriation of
$200,000 from the state General Fund to provide for the
administration and operation of the program. Additionally, AB
3075 did not codify these provisions.
Originally placed in the Office of Criminal Justice Planning
(OCJP), the YETR Project was awarded through a competitive grant
process to the California Coalition for Youth (CCY) in 1987.
The OCJP was abolished in the 2003 Budget Act and had a number
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of its duties and responsibilities, including the YETR Project,
transferred to CalEMA. Under CalEMA grant requirements,
grantees must provide two programs reports a year, are subject
to periodic site visits, and more thorough monitoring visits to
ensure programmatic compliance. If a grantee is found to be out
of compliance with grant requirements, CalEMA may issue via
competitive bid the grant to find another entity. According to
CalEMA, the YETR Project Grant was never reissued for public bid
because the CCY has effectively and efficiently administered the
program on an annual basis. Additionally, the CCY recently
underwent a CalEMA monitoring visit whereby they were found to
be operating the program effectively and efficiently, and remain
in good standing.
Although the YETR Project is required to be appropriated
$200,000 annually, it has received appropriations greater than
that amount. In the 2001-02 fiscal year the program was
supported with $338,000 when state budget revenues were higher.
However, due to declining state revenues and the emerging state
budget shortfall, funding for the YETR project was steadily
reduced between 2002 and 2010. Currently, the YETR Project is
appropriated $114,000 in state General Funds.
According to CalEMA, these budget reductions resulted in a
reduction in staff and a decreased call volume. In response,
the CCY has worked to raise additional private funds to help
offset budget reductions that began in 2002-03. In the 2009-10
fiscal year, the CalEMA, in coordination with the CCY, was able
to allocate an additional $100,000 in federal Victims of Crime
Act (VOCA) funds to help offset the impacts of these budget
reductions. This enabled the CCY to rehire laid off staff and
provide graveyard shift counselors. According to the CCY, under
the current funding amount, they are able to serve an average of
21,000 calls annually with predominantly an all-volunteer staff.
Since 2009, due to budget cuts, the YETR Project has
transitioned to an all-volunteer staff, where in-kind donation
hours annually amount to over $100,000.
Analysis Prepared by : Chris Reefe / HUM. S. / (916) 319-2089
FN: 0003981
AB 2186
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