Youth service organizations: child abuse and neglect prevention.

Existing law, which took effect January 1, 2022, requires administrators, employees, and regular volunteers of a youth service organization to undergo criminal background checks to identify and exclude any persons with a history of child abuse. This bill would, until January 1, 2024, exclude from this background check requirement youth service organizations that, prior to January 1, 2022, did not require administrators, employees, or regular volunteers to undergo background checks. Existing law requires a youth service organization to develop and implement child abuse prevention policies and procedures, including policies requiring, to the greatest extent possible, the presence of at least 2 mandated reporters whenever administrators, employees, or volunteers are in contact with, or supervising, children. This bill would exclude an organization that provides one-to-one mentoring to youth that has developed and implemented policies to ensure reporting of suspected incidents of child abuse to persons or entities outside of the organization, comprehensive screening of volunteers, training of volunteers and parents or guardians, and regular contact with volunteers and parents or guardians from the requirement that at least 2 mandated reporters be present when administrators, employees, or volunteers are in contact with, or supervise, the children. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.