California Senate Bill SB602 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: SB 602AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 1, 2013 INTRODUCED BY Committee on Human Services (Senators Yee (Chair), Berryhill, Emmerson, Evans, Liu, and Wright) FEBRUARY 22, 2013 An act to amend Sections  18960,  18961,  and  18962  , and 18963  of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to child abuse prevention. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 602, as amended, Committee on Human Services. Child abuse prevention, intervention, and treatment projects. Existing law allows the Office of Child Abuse Prevention to fund, through allocations provided to local counties, child abuse and neglect prevention and intervention programs. Existing law provides the criteria under which a county selects agency projects and services to be funded under these provisions, including that priority shall be given to private, nonprofit agencies and that training and technical assistance shall be provided by private, nonprofit agencies, as specified. Existing law requires  a county that has established a multidisciplinary council to utilize that council to provide recommendations to the board of supervisors for the funding processes and priorities.   funds allocated to a county to revert to the   State Children's Trust Fund and be administered, as provided, if that county chooses not to contract or subcontract for the provision of services.   This bill would provide that a county welfare department may directly perform services funded under these provisions and priority shall be given instead to direct prevention and early intervention programs that have demonstrated effectiveness in abuse and neglect prevention and early intervention. This   This  bill would remove required training and technical assistance by private, nonprofit agencies as a selection criteria. This bill would  require counties to utilize specified processes to include stakeholder input and provide recommendations to the board of supervisors for the funding processes and priorities.   also remove the requirement that funds allocated to a county that chooses not to contract or subcontract for the provision of services revert to the State Children's Trust Fund   .   The bill would make conforming changes to related provisions.  Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:  SECTION 1.   Section 18960 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read: 18960. (a) It is the intent of the Legislature that child abuse and neglect prevention and early intervention programs be encouraged by the funding of public and other agencies addressing needs of children at high risk of abuse or neglect and their families. (b) All funds expended by a county for activities under this section shall be expended by the county in a manner that will maximize eligibility for federal financial participation. (c) Priority shall be given to direct prevention and early intervention programs that identify and provide services to isolated families, particularly those with children five years of age or younger, high quality home visiting programs based on research-based models of best practice, and services to child victims of crime.   SEC. 2.   SECTION 1.  Section 18961 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read: 18961. (a)  In addition to funding nonprofit agencies, a county welfare department may also directly perform child abuse and neglect prevention and early intervention services funded under this article. Direct   Projects and  services  provided to children and families  funded pursuant to this article shall be selected using the following criteria: (1) Priority shall be given to  services and programs     private, nonprofit agencies with programs that serve the needs of children at risk of abuse or neglect and  that have demonstrated effectiveness in  abuse and neglect  prevention  and early intervention, particularly services to isolated families, families with children five years of age or younger, high quality home visiting programs based on research-based models of best practice, and services to child victims of crime.   or intervention.  (2)  Nonprofit agencies   Agencies  shall be eligible for funding provided that evidence is submitted that the proposed services are not duplicated in the community, are based on needs of children at risk, and are supported by a local public agency, including, but not limited to, one of the following: (A) The county welfare department. (B) A public law enforcement agency. (C) The county probation department. (D) The county board of supervisors. (E) The county public health department. (F) The county mental health department. (G) The school district. (3) Services provided shall be culturally and linguistically appropriate to the populations served. (4)  Direct services provided to children and families   Services  may include, but need not be limited to, day care, respite services, transportation, mental health services, services provided through home visiting programs, parent education and support programs, domestic violence services, disability services, early developmental screening and assessment,  and  counseling  services, and multidisciplinary team  services. (5)  Nonprofit applicant   Applicant  agencies shall demonstrate the existence of a 10 percent cash or in-kind match that will support the goals of child abuse and neglect prevention and intervention. (6) Funding shall be used to supplement, but not supplant, child welfare services authorized pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 16500) of Part 4. (7) Priority for services shall be given to children who are at high risk, including children who are being served by the county welfare departments for being abused and neglected and other children who are referred for services by legal, medical, or social services agencies. (8) Service to minority populations shall be reflected in the funding of  projects and services.   projects.  (9) Projects and services shall clearly be related to the needs of children, especially those 14 years of age and under. (b)  Counties shall utilize the county self-assessment and system improvement plan processes established under Section 10601.2 of the Welfare and Institutions Code to include stakeholder input and  In a county that has established a multidisciplinary council, the council shall be utilized  to provide recommendations to the board of supervisors for the funding processes and priorities. (c) Each county shall monitor the projects and services it funds. (d) Beginning in the 2011-12 fiscal year, and for each fiscal year thereafter, funding and expenditures for programs and activities under this section shall be in accordance with the requirements provided in Sections 30025 and 30026.5 of the Government Code.  SEC. 3.   SEC. 2.  Section 18962 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:  18962. (a) If a board of supervisors chooses not to utilize these funds for the provision of direct prevention and early intervention services provided to children and families, the funds allocated for that county shall revert to the State Children's Trust Fund established under Section 18969 and shall be administered in accordance with the provisions of law relating to the fund. (b) The   18962.   The  county child welfare agency shall provide to the Office of Child Abuse Prevention, no later than October 1 of each year, an annual expenditure report to include funds expended, populations served, and other information deemed necessary based on a process to be developed by the department, in consultation with counties.  SEC. 3.   Section 18963 of the   Welfare and Institutions Code   is amended to read:  18963. Unless otherwise specified in the annual Budget Act, the funds appropriated in the annual Budget Act to the State Department of Social Services for the purposes of this article shall be allocated as follows: (a) A sum equal to 90 percent of the appropriation shall be allocated to the board of supervisors of each of the participating counties. (b) A sum equal to 7 percent of the appropriation shall be allocated to the State Children's Trust Fund established under Section 18969 for innovative, child-centered approaches which indicate promise of quality, cost-effective services to prevent child abuse and neglect. (c) The Office of Child Abuse Prevention shall reserve a sum equal to 3 percent of the appropriation, to be used to provide administrative oversight and consultation that shall include activities necessary to do all of the following: (1) Ensure that each county allocates revenues through the use of an accountable process that utilizes a multidisciplinary approach, particularly including strengthening child abuse councils and allocates revenues in a manner consistent with a county expenditure plan for all Child Abuse Prevention, Intervention, and Treatment program revenues. The county plans shall explain how services funded under this article are coordinated with the array of services available in the county and are based on unmet need. The Office of Child Abuse Prevention shall review and approve these plans prior to authorizing county expenditure of funds. The Office of Child Abuse Prevention shall require counties to submit annual reports on program services. (2) Ensure Child Abuse Prevention, Intervention, and Treatment program compliance and accountability to the county plan and legislative intent. (d) Counties with provider contracts in effect as of June 30, 1998, may continue those contracts. However, no county shall receive an augmentation of Child Abuse Prevention, Intervention, and Treatment funds unless the county modifies its program in accordance with subdivision (c). During the 1998-99 state fiscal year, if a county qualifies to receive an augmentation of funds, counties may augment existing provider contracts without competitive bids. (e) The Office of Child Abuse Prevention may contract with a statewide nonprofit consortium with broad-based statewide representation to provide training and technical assistance, and to improve accountability for the use of funds in the Child Abuse Prevention, Intervention, and Treatment program using funds identified in subdivision (c). (f) A portion of the funds specified in subdivision (c) may be allocated to the State Children's Trust Fund to be used for statewide training and technical assistance services. Moneys for statewide training and technical assistance may be supplemented under subdivision (a) by an amount not to exceed 0.50 percent of the total Child Abuse Prevention, Intervention, and Treatment appropriation but the total amount allocated statewide for training and technical assistance shall not exceed 2 percent of the total Child Abuse Prevention, Intervention, and Treatment appropriation. This augmentation may be accomplished by  means of the following:   (1)     The   authorizing the  board of supervisors of each participating county  may   to  allocate annually a portion of its allocation under this section as a supplement to funds for statewide training and technical assistance. Activities to be funded with these supplemental moneys may be specified by the allocating county and approved by the State Department of Social Services.  (2) In combination with funds provided by a county pursuant to paragraph (1) a portion of the moneys reverted to the State Children' s Trust Fund pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 18962 may be allocated annually for statewide training and technical assistance. Any amount allocated from the State Children's Trust Fund in a state fiscal year shall not exceed the moneys reverted under paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 18962 in that state fiscal year.