Existing law establishes the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, which may adjudge a child to be a dependent of the court under certain circumstances, including when the child has been left without any provision for support or when a parent or guardian fails to provide the child with adequate food, clothing, shelter, or medical treatment. Existing law provides that the Legislature declares that a child whose parent has been adjudged a dependent child of the court shall not be considered at risk of abuse or neglect solely because of the age, dependent status, or foster care status of the parent. This bill would additionally declare that a child whose parent has been adjudged a dependent child of the court shall not be considered at risk of abuse or neglect solely on the basis of information concerning the parent's placement history, past behaviors, health or mental health diagnoses occurring prior to the pregnancy, except as specified. Existing law provides that reunification services need not be provided to the family of a dependent child under certain circumstances. This bill would enact certain exceptions to that provision that would apply in the case of a child for whom one or both minor parents have been adjudged to be dependent children of the juvenile court, thereby providing the family access to reunification services. The bill would also require, in those cases, a party seeking an involuntary foster care placement of, or termination of parental rights over, a child born to a parent or parents who were minors at the time of the child's birth to demonstrate to the court that reasonable efforts were made to provide remedial services designed to prevent the removal of the child from the minor parent or parents, that these efforts have proved unsuccessful, and that those efforts utilize the available resources of the child and his or her minor parent or parents extended family, social services agencies, caregivers, and other available service providers. By imposing a higher level of service on county employees, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law requires the clerk of the superior court to open a separate court file for nonminor dependents under the dependency, delinquency, or transition jurisdiction of the court and limits access to those files. This bill would require the clerk of the superior court to maintain court files and records concerning a minor dependent parent or a nonminor dependent parent separate from court files and records concerning his or her child, as specified. The bill would authorize dependency court records concerning a minor dependent parent or a nonminor dependent parent to be disclosed to the county and the court in the child's dependency proceedings, but would require information from the records to only be admitted as evidence in the child's dependency proceedings pursuant to a certain court order. The bill would authorize any party to the child's dependency proceedings to request the admittance of the records concerning a minor dependent parent or a nonminor dependent parent as evidence at any stage of the child's dependency proceedings. Existing law declares the intent of the Legislature to maintain the continuity of the family unit and to support and preserve families headed by minor dependent parents and nonminor dependent parents. Existing law requires foster care placements for minor parents and their children to demonstrate a willingness and ability to provide support and assistance to minor parents and their children. This bill would additionally require those foster care placements to support the preservation of the family unit and to refer a minor dependent parent or nonminor dependent parent to preventive services to address any concerns regarding the safety, health, or well-being of the child, and to help prevent, whenever possible, the filing of a petition to declare the child a dependent of the juvenile court. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.
Sponsored bills
Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services to establish a program of public health nursing in the child welfare services program, and requires counties to use the services of the foster care public health nurse under this program. Existing law requires the foster care public health nurse to perform specified duties, including participating in medical care planning and coordinating for a child in foster care. This bill would authorize a foster care public health nurse, as part of his or her requirement to participate in medical care planning and coordinating for a child, to monitor and oversee the child's use of psychotropic medications. The bill would also require a foster care public health nurse to assist a nonminor dependent to make informed decisions about his or her health care. By imposing this additional duty on foster care public health nurses, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law restricts the disclosure of medical and mental health information by providers of health care and mental health care services, but authorizes disclosure of this information to county social workers, probation officers, or any other person who is legally authorized to have custody and care of a minor who is in temporary custody or subject to the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, for the purpose of coordinating medical treatment and health care, mental health, and developmental disability services for the minor. This bill would authorize the disclosure of this health care and mental health care information to a foster care public health nurse, as specified. This bill would incorporate changes to Section 16501.3 of the Welfare and Institutions Code proposed by both this bill and SB 238, which would become operative only if both bills are enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2016, and this bill is chaptered last. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law establishes the Department of Fish and Wildlife and sets forth the duties of that department, which include administering various programs for the protection and conservation of fish and wildlife resources. This bill would authorize the department to take feasible actions to conserve monarch butterflies and the unique habitats they depend upon for successful migration. The bill would authorize the department to partner with federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, academic programs, private landowners, and other entities that undertake actions to conserve monarch butterflies and aid their successful migration, including the Monarch Joint Venture. The bill would require the department, when undertaking actions to conserve monarch butterflies and their habitats, to use the best available science and consider taking specified actions.
Under existing law, the California Child Day Care Facilities Act, the State Department of Social Services licenses and regulates child day care facilities, as defined. The act requires that, as a condition of licensure and in addition to any other required training, at least one director or teacher at each day care center, and each family day care home licensee who provides care, have at least 15 hours of health and safety training, covering specified components, including preventative health practices courses, that may include identification and reporting of signs and symptoms of child abuse. A willful or repeated violation of the act is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed $1,000 or by imprisonment in county jail for a period not to exceed 180 days, or by both the fine and imprisonment, and a serious violation of the act is subject to daily civil penalties, as specified. The Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act requires a mandated reporter, including a licensee, an administrator, or an employee of a licensed child day care facility, to report whenever he or she, in his or her professional capacity, has knowledge of or observed a child whom the mandated reporter knows or reasonably suspects has been the victim of child abuse or neglect. This bill would, beginning January 1, 2018, require the department to develop and disseminate information to providers, administrators, and employees of licensed child day care facilities regarding detecting and reporting child abuse, and to provide training including statewide guidance on the responsibilities of those persons as mandated reporters, as provided. Beginning January 1, 2018, the bill would require those persons, as a condition of licensure, to complete that training provided by the department, as specified. Under the bill, a violation of its provisions would not be a misdemeanor or subject to civil fines as a serious violation under the California Child Day Care Facilities Act. Instead, the bill would authorize the department to revoke a facility's license if the facility fails to correct a violation of the bill's provisions within 90 days of receipt of a notice of deficiency from the department, as provided. The bill would make conforming changes.
The Alcoholic Beverage Control Act provides for the issuance of licenses for which various annual fees are charged depending upon the type of license issued. The act authorizes the issuance of a veterans' club license authorizing the sale of alcoholic beverages for consumption within the licensed establishment only to members of the veterans' organization and their guests. This bill would additionally authorize a holder of a veterans' club license to sell and serve alcoholic beverages for consumption within the licensed establishment to members of other veterans' organizations, active duty or reserve members of the Armed Forces, or veterans, as well as to the members of the veterans' organization and their guests.
This measure would proclaim April 12 through April 19, 2015, as California Holocaust Memorial Week and would urge Californians to observe these days of remembrance for the victims of the Holocaust in an appropriate manner.
This measure would designate November 2015 as Court Adoption and Permanency Month and would encourage the courts and their local communities to join in activities to expedite permanency for children.
This measure would establish the California Task Force on Family Caregiving, to meet, if a nonstate organization agrees to provide administrative support to the task force, to examine issues relative to the challenges faced by family caregivers and opportunities to improve caregiver support, review the current network and the services and supports available to caregivers, and make policy recommendations to the Legislature. The task force would be required to submit an interim report to the Legislature no later than January 1, 2017, and a final report no later than July 1, 2018.
This measure would recognize the California Association of County Veterans Service Officers for helping veterans secure their federal and state benefits over the past 70 years.
This measure would urge the Congress of the United States to permanently reauthorize and fully fund the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund in order to maintain and preserve land and water resources.