Bill Text: CA AB704 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Assembly Bill 704 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Multidisciplinary teams: human trafficking and domestic violence.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Failed) 2018-02-01 - From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [AB704 Detail]

Download: California-2017-AB704-Introduced.html

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 704

Introduced by Assembly Member Grayson
(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Baker)

February 15, 2017

An act to add Section 13701.5 to, and to add Chapter 13 (commencing with Section 13899) to Title 6 of Part 4 of, the Penal Code, relating to crime victims.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 704, as introduced, Grayson. Multidisciplinary teams: human trafficking and domestic violence.

Existing law requires every law enforcement agency in the state to develop, adopt, and implement written policies and standards for officers’ responses to domestic violence. Existing law also authorizes counties to establish multidisciplinary personnel teams regarding issues like child abuse to allow various agencies to collaborate.

This bill would authorize a county to establish a domestic violence multidisciplinary personnel team and a human trafficking multidisciplinary personnel team to allow agencies to share confidential information in order to investigate reports of suspected crimes. This bill would authorize members of those multidisciplinary personnel teams to disclose to one another information and records that are relevant to the prevention, identification, or treatment of those crimes.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 13701.5 is added to the Penal Code, to read:

13701.5.

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, a county may establish a domestic violence multidisciplinary personnel team to allow agencies to share confidential information in order to investigate reports of suspected domestic violence.

(b) “Domestic violence multidisciplinary personnel team” means a team of two or more persons who are trained in the prevention, identification, or treatment of domestic violence cases and who are qualified to provide a broad range of services related to domestic violence. The team may include, but is not limited to:

(1) Psychiatrists, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, or other trained counseling personnel.

(2) Police officers or other law enforcement agents.

(3) Medical personnel with sufficient training to provide health services.

(4) Social services workers with experience or training in domestic violence prevention.

(5) A sexual assault counselor, as defined in Section 1035.2 of the Evidence Code.

(6) A domestic violence counselor, as defined in Section 1037.1 of the Evidence Code.

(c) (1) Notwithstanding any other law governing the disclosure of information and records, members of a domestic violence multidisciplinary personnel team may disclose to one another information and records that are relevant to the prevention, identification, or treatment of domestic violence.

(2) Except as provided in paragraph (1), a member of a domestic violence multidisciplinary personnel team that receives information pursuant to this section is under the same obligations and subject to the same confidentiality penalties as the person disclosing or providing that information. The information obtained shall be maintained in a manner that ensures the maximum protection of privacy and confidentiality rights.

SEC. 2.

Chapter 13 (commencing with Section 13899) is added to Title 6 of Part 4 of the Penal Code, to read:

CHAPTER 13. Human trafficking

13899.

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, a county may establish a human trafficking multidisciplinary personnel team within that county to allow agencies to share confidential information in order to investigate reports of suspected human trafficking.

(b) “Human trafficking multidisciplinary personnel team” means a team of two or more persons who are trained in the prevention, identification, or treatment of human trafficking cases and who are qualified to provide a broad range of services related to human trafficking. The team may include, but shall not be limited to:

(1) Psychiatrists, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, or other trained counseling personnel.

(2) Police officers or other law enforcement agents.

(3) Medical personnel with sufficient training to provide health services.

(4) Social services workers with experience or training in human trafficking prevention.

(5) A sexual assault counselor, as defined in Section 1035.2 of the Evidence Code.

(6) A human trafficking caseworker.

(c) (1) Notwithstanding any other law governing the disclosure of information and records, members of a human trafficking multidisciplinary personnel team may disclose to one another information and records that are relevant to the prevention, identification, or treatment of human trafficking.

(2) Except as provided in paragraph (1), a member of a human trafficking multidisciplinary personnel team that receives information pursuant to this section is under the same obligations and subject to the same confidentiality penalties as the person disclosing or providing that information. The information obtained shall be maintained in a manner that ensures the maximum protection of privacy and confidentiality rights.