California Assembly Bill AB1911 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 1911AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 28, 2016 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 18, 2016 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Eggman FEBRUARY 11, 2016 An act to repeal and add Section 241.2 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to juveniles. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1911, as amended, Eggman. Dual-status minors. Existing law requires the probation department and  the  child welfare  service   services  department in each county to jointly develop a written protocol, as specified, to ensure appropriate local coordination in the assessment of a minor who is both a dependent child and a ward of the juvenile court. Existing law requires, whenever a minor appears to be both a dependent child and a ward of the juvenile court, the county probation department and the child welfare services department, pursuant to that jointly developed written protocol, to initially determine which status will  best  serve the best interests of the minor and the protection of society.  Existing   Existing  law  authorizes the probation department and the child welfare services department in a county to create a jointly written protocol to allow the 2 departments to jointly assess and produce a recommendation that the child be designated as a dual status child, as specified. Existing law  requires the protocol to include a plan to collect data, and requires the Judicial Council to collect and compile  that   the  data. Existing law requires the Judicial Council to prepare an evaluation of the results of the implementation of the protocol, as specified, and to report its findings and any resulting recommendations to the Legislature within 2 years of the date those counties first deem a child to be a dual status child. This bill would  instead  require the Judicial Council  to, on or before January 31, 2017,   to  convene a committee comprised of stakeholders involved in serving the needs of dependents or wards of the juvenile court, as specified. The bill would require the  committee   committee, by January 1, 2018,  to develop and report to the Legislature its recommendations to facilitate and enhance comprehensive data and outcome tracking for the state's  dually involved, crossover, and dual status youth,   youth involved in both the child welfare system and the juvenile justice system,  and would require the recommendations to include specified information, including standardized definitions related to  the populations of youth involved in both the child welfare system and the probation system.   these youth.  The bill would also require the State Department of Social  Services to,   Services,  on or before January 31,  2017,   2019, to  implement a function within the Child Welfare Services/Case Management System (CWS/CMS) that will enable county child welfare agencies and county probation departments to identify  the dually involved  youth  described above who are  residing within their counties, and to issue guidance to all counties on the manner in which to track joint assessment hearing information completely and consistently for  dually involved   these  youth. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 241.2 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 2. Section 241.2 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read: 241.2. (a) The Judicial Council  shall, on or before January 31, 2017,   shall  convene a committee comprised of stakeholders involved in serving the needs of dependents or wards of the juvenile court, including, but not limited to, judges, probation officers, social workers,  youth involved in both the child welfare system and the juvenile justice system, child welfa   re and juvenile justice attorneys, child welfare and juvenile justice advocates,  and representatives from the State Department of Social Services.  Within one year from the date of its first meeting,   By January 1, 2018,  the committee shall develop and report to the  Legislature   Legislature, pursuant to Section 9795 of the Government Code,  its recommendations to facilitate and enhance comprehensive data and outcome tracking for the state's  dually involved, crossover, and dual status youth.   youth involved in both the child welfare system and the juvenile justice system.  The committee's recommendations shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following: (1) A common identifier counties may use to reconcile data across child welfare and  probation data   juvenile justice  systems statewide. (2) Standardized definitions for terms related to the populations of youth involved in both the child welfare system and the  probation   juvenile justice  system. (3) Identified and defined outcomes for counties to track  for dually involved, crossover, and dual status youth, such as   youth involved in both the child welfare system and the juvenile justice system, including, but not limited to,  outcomes related to recidivism and education. (4) Established baselines and goals for the identified and defined outcomes specified in paragraph (3). (5) An assessment as to the costs and benefits associated with requiring all counties to implement the committee's recommendations. (b) The State Department of Social Services shall, on or before January 31,  2017,   2019,  implement a function within the Child Welfare Services/Case Management System (CWS/CMS) that will enable county child welfare agencies and county probation departments to identify  the dually involved  youth  involved in both the child welfare system and the juvenile justice system who are  residing within their counties and shall issue guidance to all counties on how to track joint assessment hearing information completely and consistently for  dually involved   these  youth.