BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �




                   Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
                           Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair

                                          SB 123 (Liu)
          
          Hearing Date: 5/2/2011          Amended: 4/4/2011
          Consultant: Jolie Onodera       Policy Vote: Public Safety 6-1
          
















































          _________________________________________________________________
          ____
          BILL SUMMARY: SB 123 would require the California Emergency 
          Management Agency (Cal EMA), subject to the availability of 
          adequate resources, to develop a statewide plan for runaway, 
          homeless, and exploited youth in collaboration with the Senate 
          Office of Research (SOR) and various stakeholders.
          _________________________________________________________________
          ____
                            Fiscal Impact (in thousands)

           Major Provisions         2011-12      2012-13       2013-14     Fund
           
          Development/coordination          $90         $180      
          $160General            
          of plan
                                                                  
          Statewide plan         Likely substantial future cost 
          pressureGeneral/
                                 to implement the plan            Federal*

          *Various programs/activities addressing at risk youth are 
          eligible for federal funding.
          _________________________________________________________________
          ____

          STAFF COMMENTS: This bill meets the criteria for referral to the 
          Suspense File. 

          This bill seeks to address the serious issue of youth 
          homelessness and exploitation by the development of a statewide 
          plan reflecting a range of cost-effective, evidence-based 
          practices for runaway, homeless, and exploited youth. The bill 
          requires the Cal EMA to develop this plan in collaboration with 
          the SOR and a broad spectrum of stakeholders responsible for 
          addressing the needs of this population, including but not 
          limited to government agencies, youth advocates, and others with 
          expertise in the areas of social services, mental health, 
          housing, education, and public safety, as well as homeless youth 
          service providers and impacted youth.

          The bill specifies that the plan shall include all of the 
          following:
               A determination for the statewide demand for shelter, 
              housing, and supportive services for runaway, homeless, and 
              exploited youth, as defined;








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               An identification of data and outcome measures from which 
              to evaluate public investment in runaway, homeless, and 
              exploited youth services;
               A proposal for a consistent revenue stream to meet the 
              demand for shelter, housing, and services for these youth;
               An examination of the federal definition of "status 
              offender" and make legislative recommendations regarding the 
              relevant sections of state law;
               A description of the role of the child welfare system in 
              preventing and addressing homelessness for minors 
              experiencing abuse and neglect; and
               A description of the role of law enforcement in responding 
              to runaway youth.

          Once the plan is created, the bill requires Cal EMA to be the 
          entity responsible for the coordination of information, support 
          services, and other resources for public and private entities 
          serving runaway, homeless, and exploited youth in California.

          Cal EMA indicates development of the plan could not be 
          accomplished within existing resources and would require 
          designated staff to lead in the development of the plan and 
          coordinate meetings with various stakeholders as identified in 
          the bill. Cal EMA would require one-full time staff position at 
          an annual cost of approximately $160,000, in addition to $20,000 
          for coordinating stakeholder meetings during plan development. 
          Upon completion of the plan, continued staff resources would be 
          needed to support CalEMA's responsibility for ongoing statewide 
          coordination. The SOR has indicated its role in the development 
          of the plan could be absorbed within existing resources. The 
          workload on other non-lead agencies participating in the plan 
          development process is unknown, but would likely be minor.

          There would be substantial cost pressure to implement the plan, 
          once developed. The extent of those costs and the agencies that 
          would incur those costs are unknown and would be dependent upon 
          the specific recommendations and best practices outlined in the 
          plan. To the extent that this bill results in innovative and 
          cost-effective services provided to runaway, homeless, and 
          exploited youth, there will likely be significant savings to 
          local governments and law enforcement agencies. Depending on the 
          nature of these services, there may be significant cost savings 
          to the state in public safety and social services programs in 
          the future.









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