Children

This page tracks California legislation impacting Urban American Indian children. This tracker is updated regularly and provides links to the California Legislative Information website for additional resources.

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AB 1992: Assembly member Jones (District 71 ) 

Pupil Health: physical examinations

Summary: Existing law authorizes a physician and surgeon or physician assistant to perform a physical examination that is required for participation in an interscholastic athletic program, as specified. This bill would additionally authorize a doctor of chiropractic, naturopathic doctor, or nurse practitioner practicing in compliance with the respective laws governing their profession.

For more information on this bill please check the Official California Legislative Information site here

SB 884: Senator Beall (District 15 ) 

Special education: procedural safeguards and records: mental health services

Summary: Existing law establishes certain rights and procedural safeguards for parents and pupils of individuals with disabilities, and requires a public agency to give prior written notice to parents or guardians of an individual with exceptional needs when certain actions are taken with respect tohis or her placement, identification, and assessment or the provision of a free and appropriate education.This bill would require a local educational agency responsible for implementation of a pupil’s individualized education program to ensure that a copy of each prior written notice is included in the pupil’s records. The bill would require each special education local plan area to require each local educational agency to provide certain information to parents in their annual parent notification information, including information regarding family empowerment centers and parent training and information centers. This bill would also require a special education local plan area to document and report to the State Department of Education funding allocations and expenditures for all mental health and special education services, and would require the department to post the information on the department’s Internet Web site

For more information on this bill please check the Official California Legislative Information site here

AB 1699: Assemblymember Kim (District 65)

Homeless youth emergency service projects

Summary: This bill would require a homeless youth emergency service project to be established in the County of Orange, and would authorize the Office of Emergency Services to establish additional projects in other counties, with a priority given to underserved counties. The bill would additionally require each project to provide transitional living services, for a period of up to 36 months, with access to education and employment assistance, independent living skill development, and family engagement and interventions. The bill would appropriate $25,000,000 from the General Fund to the Office of Emergency Services to provide additional funding for these homeless youth emergency service projects.

Last Action: 05/27/2016 Held under submission

For more information on this bill please check the Official California Legislative Information site here

AB 1644: Assemblymember Bonta (District 18)

School-based early mental health intervention and prevention services

Summary: This bill would expand the definition of an eligible pupil to include a pupil who attends a preschool program at a contracting agency of the California state preschool program or a local educational agency,and a pupil who is in transitional kindergarten, thereby extending the application of the act to those persons. The bill would also include charter schools in the definition of local educational agency, thereby extending the application of the act to those entities. The bill would require the State Public Health Officer, in consultation with the Superintendent of Public Schools and the Director of Health Care Services, to establish a 4-year pilot program, the School-Based Early Mental Health Intervention and Prevention Services Support Program, to provide outreach, free regional training, and technical assistance for local educational agencies in providing mental health services at schoolsites. The bill would require the State Department of Public Health to submit specified reports after 2 and 4 years.

Last Action: 06/15/2016 Re-referred to Committee on Education.

For more information on this bill please check the Official California Legislative Information site here

AB 1567: Assemblymember Campos (District 27)

After school programs: enrollment: fees: homeless youth

Summary: The After School Education and Safety Program Act of 2002 gives priority enrollment in after school programs to pupils in middle school or junior high school who attend daily. This bill would instead give first priority enrollment to homeless youth, as defined, and pupils who are in foster care, and  2nd priority enrollment, for programs serving middle and junior high school pupils, to pupils who attend the program daily. The bill would require an after school program to inform the parent or caregiver of a pupil of the right of homeless children and foster children to receive priority enrollment and how to request priority enrollment. The bill would authorize the administrators of a program to verify the homeless status of a pupil through the school district liaison designated for homeless children, as specified, and, if that information is not available through the school district, would require the program to allow the parent or caregiver of a pupil to verify the pupil’s homeless status. The bill would authorize the administrators of a program to verify that a pupil is in foster care through the school district, if that information is available, or through the foster parent of the pupil.

Last Action: 08/11/2016 From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended.

For more information on this bill please check the Official California Legislative Information site here

SB 1095: Senator Pan (District 6)

Newborn screening program

Summary: Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health to establish a program for the development, provision, and evaluation of genetic disease testing. This bill would require the department to expand statewide screening of newborns to include screening for any disease as soon as the disease is adopted by the federal Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP).

Last Action: 08/12/2016 From committee: Do pass as amended

For more information on this bill please check the Official California Legislative Information site here

AB 2054: Assemblymember Thurmond (District 15)

Nutrition assistance: Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children

Summary: This bill would require the California Health and Human Services Agency, in conjunction with any other relevant state agencies, to design and implement the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children (SEBTC) to provide nutrition assistance benefits to eligible households. The bill would require that the system be compatible with the state’s electronic benefits transfer system, comply with federal laws and regulations, and comply with privacy and confidentiality procedures consistent with all applicable state and federal law. The bill would require, among other things, the agency, and any other state agency, as specified, to request or apply for federal approval or authorization necessary to implement and operate SEBTC. The bill would also require each agency to request or apply for all available federal funding to implement and operate SEBTC. The bill would require the Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency to notify in a timely manner the appropriate head of each additional agency that is required to request or apply for federal approval or authorization so as to permit the other agency sufficient time to complete the process.

Last Action: 06/9/2016 Referred to Committee on Human Services

For more information on this bill please check the Official California Legislative Information site here

AB 1576: Assemblymember Eggman (District 13)

Mental Health Delivery Demonstration Project: Early Diagnosis and Psychosis Treatment Program.

Summary: This bill would, commencing July 1, 2017, authorize health care service plans that offer health care services within the greater Sacramento area to require enrollees seeking services for a mental health condition to participate in a Mental Health Delivery Demonstration Project through an Early Diagnosis and Psychosis Treatment (EDAPT) program, as defined. The bill would require plans that choose to participate to develop clinical guidelines for enrollees and to make those guidelines available as part of their evidence of coverage and to primary care providers and specialty mental health providers in their contracted network. The bill would allow an enrollee to opt out of the EDAPT program if a psychiatrist notifies the plan that the enrollee is under his or her care. These provisions would be repealed on January 1, 2020. Because a willful violation of these provisions would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

Last Action: 4/12/2016 First hearing canceled at the request of the author.

For more information on this bill please check the Official California Legislative Information site here

AB 1808: Senator Wood (District 2)

Minors: mental health services

Summary: Existing law authorizes a minor who is 12 years of age or older to consent to mental health treatment or counseling services on an outpatient basis, or to residential shelter services, under certain circumstances, where those services are provided by any one of specified professionals, including a marriage and family therapist, a marriage and family therapist intern, a professional clinical counselor, and a clinical counselor intern. This bill would additionally authorize a marriage and family therapist trainee and a clinical counselor trainee, while working under the supervision of certain licensed professionals, to provide those services.

Last Action: 08/30/2016 Enrolled and presented to the Governor.

For more information on this bill please check the Official California Legislative Information site here

AB 2782: Assemblymember Richard Bloom (District 50), Chiu (District 17) and Wood (District 2)

Healthy California Fund: For our Families and Children

Summary: This bill seeks to address Type 2 diabetes, dental disease, heart disease, stroke – debilitating epidemics in California – by creating a dedicated revenue source for prevention and care. The Healthy California Fund will be funded through a two cent per fluid ounce health impact fee on sugar sweetened beverages. CPCA is a proud member of the Coalition for a Healthy California who is sponsoring this legislation.

Last Action: 04/12/2016 Hearing canceled at the request of the author.

For more information on this bill please check the Official California Legislative Information site here

AB 1357: Assemblymembers Chiu (District  17) and Rendon (District 63) 

Children and Family Health Promotion Program 

Summary: Establishes the Children and Family Health Promotion Program. Provides for a competitive grant process for grants to counties, cities, nonprofit organizations, community-based organizations, and licensed clinics that seek to invest in childhood obesity and diabetes prevention activities and oral health programs. Authorizes a grant to any entity that will use the funds to support programs that use educational, environmental, policy, and other public health approaches to achieve specified goals.

Last Action: 02/1/2016 Filed with the Chief Clerk

For more information on this bill please check the Official California Legislative Information site here

SB 118: Senator Liu (District 25) 

School-Based Health and Education Partnership Program

Summary: This bill would provide funding for the expansion and renovation of existing school health centers. The bill would change the amount of the sustainability grants that are available pursuant to the program to between $50,000 and $100,000, but would make those grants available on a one-time basis and would revise the purposes for which they may be used. The bill would also authorize population health grants in amounts between $50,000 and $125,000 for a funding period of up to 3 years, as specified.

According to the author, there are currently 231 SBHCs in California that serve over 242,000 students with a range of services that meet specific needs of the local student population. These centers have proven to be an effective anchor for a broader community school strategy. A community school is both a place and a set of partnerships between the school and other community resources that integrates services and supports into the educational strategy of the school. This approach improves student academic achievement, increases attendance, reduces dropout rates, improves behavior, and promotes parent engagement. These outcomes benefit families and communities by generating increased stability and public safety. SBHCs typically piece together funding through a variety of sources including: third-party billing reimbursement, such as Medi-Cal, in kinddonations from schools and community agencies, grants, and local revenues. The PSHCSP has existed in statute for eight years yet has never been funded. It is time for this program to be updated and funded, as it will expand the availability and scope of medical and mental health services available to students. This perfectly complements the LCFF emphasis on addressing the needs of at-risk students and building community resiliency.

Last Action: 08/27/2015 Held in committee and under submission.

For more information on this bill please check the Official California Legislative Information site here

SB 792: Senator Mendoza (District 32) 

Day care facilities: immunizations: exemptions

Summary: This bill prohibits a day care center or a family day care home from employing any person after September 1, 2016, who has not been immunized according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s schedule for routine adult immunizations. Exemptions from this immunization requirement would be based on medical safety and current immunity. The bill also makes conforming changes to statute defining the qualifications for day care center teachers and for licensure as a family day care center.  These exemptions do not however, apply to the requirement of newly hired day care center teachers to present evidence of a current tuberculosis clearance.

Last Action: 10/11/2015 Approved by the governor

For more information on this bill please check the Official California Legislative Information site here

AB 717: Assemblymember Gonzalez (District 80)

Sales and Use Taxes: Exemption: Diapers.

Summary: While existing law imposes a sales and use tax for diapers, this bill would exempt those purchasing a diaper for toddlers or infants size 3 or under from paying the tax. The exemption would last until January 1st of 2021. The authors believe that diapers are a health necessity and the tax code should be updated to make diapers more affordable.

The exemption would be recorded in the Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax Law, under which counties and cities are authorized to impose local use and tax sales that conform to its guidelines. Section 2230 of the Revenue and Taxation Code require the state to reimburse a county or city the revenue losses incurred by sales and use tax exemptions. However, Section 2230 of the Revenue and Taxation Code will not apply to this bill as local agencies will not receive reimbursement for sale and use tax revenues lost by the exemption.

The bill would take effect immediately for taxable years beginning or after January 1 2016, as a tax levy. However its operative date will depend on its effective date.

Last Action: 08/11/2016 From Committee: Do pass.

For more information on this bill please check the Official California Legislative Information site  click here

AB 80: Assemblymembers Campos (District  27), Alejo (District 30), Bonta (District 18), Jones-Sawyer (District 22), and Williams (District 37)

Interagency Task Force on the Status of Boys and Men of Color.

Summary: This bill would create the Interagency Task Force on the Status of Boys and Men of Color in order to help this California population face challenges and improve their life outcomes. Members of the legislature, representatives of specified agencies, departments, and private entities (health, business, employment sectors, etc.) would comprise the Task Force. The bill would outline the ongoing responsibilities of the task force which include an assessment of the program’s consistency with the objectives of the 2014 My Brother’s Keeper program and the Assembly Select Committee on the Status of Boys and Men of Color in California, as well as the development of its strategies. The bill would establish the Boys and Men of Color Task Force Fund to support the program and authorize the Task Force to accept federal funds, grants, gifts, or donations.

Annual costs ranging from $210,000 to $250,000 will be necessary to support the two full time and one part time positions of the Task Force. Operating expenses and equipment are estimated at $70,000 and agency data collection is estimated to incur minor costs.

According to the author, California’s male population will consist of nearly 80% boys and men of color by 2050. This program is critical for increasing their success in school, access to health care, employment, safety and for reducing criminal justice issues.

Last Action: 01/15/2016 Consideration of Governor’s veto stricken from file.

For more information on this bill please check the Official California Legislative Information site here