Bill Text: CA AB823 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: California Children's Coordinating Council.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)

Status: (Vetoed) 2012-09-17 - Consideration of Governor's veto pending. [AB823 Detail]

Download: California-2011-AB823-Amended.html

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BILL NUMBER: AB 823	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 28, 2011
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 12, 2011

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Dickinson

                        FEBRUARY 17, 2011

   An act to add  and repeal  Chapter 2 (commencing with
Section 96050)  to  of  Title 15 of the
Government Code, relating to children's services.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 823, as amended, Dickinson. Children's Cabinet of California.
   Existing law, the California Early Intervention Services Act,
requires the Secretary of the Health and Human Services Agency and
the Superintendent of Public Instruction to provide a statewide
system of coordinated, comprehensive, family-centered,
multidisciplinary, interagency programs responsible for providing
appropriate early intervention services and support to all eligible
infants and toddlers and their families. 
   This bill would establish the Children's Cabinet of California to
consist, in part, of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the
Secretary of California Health and Human Services, and the head of
each agency and department within the state that provides services
for, or has jurisdiction over the well-being of, children, and would
set forth its powers and duties, including making recommendations to
the Governor on ways to improve the delivery of services to children
and families by making those services more responsive, efficient, and
effective, and to support efforts to carry out those activities. The
bill would require the cabinet to annually report to the Governor
and the Legislature.  
   This bill would establish the Children's Cabinet of California to
serve, until January 1, 2019, as an advisory body responsible for
improving the collaboration and processes of the multiple agencies
that provide services to the children and youth of the state. This
bill would provide that the cabinet shall be comprised of, among
others, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Secretary of
California Health and Human Services, the Chief Justice of the
California Supreme Court, or his or designee, and the heads of
various specified state agencies. The bill would require the cabinet
to provide recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature on a
regular basis, which shall include an annual report addressing
specified priorities. 
   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.  Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 96050) is added to
Title 15 of the Government Code, to read:
      CHAPTER 2.  CHILDREN'S CABINET OF CALIFORNIA


   96050.  The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
   (a) All state agencies and programs that touch the lives of
children and youth  and their families  must work in a
coordinated and comprehensive fashion, with an emphasis on providing
a continuum of services that benefit children, from prenatal care
through programs supporting successful transition to self-sufficient
adulthood.
   (b) The Legislature, in collaboration with the Governor, intends
to develop and implement a shared vision among the branches of
government in order to improve child and family outcomes in this
state.
   (c) By working collaboratively with the Governor, the Legislature
intends to do all of the following:
   (1) Invest in the education and skills of our children and youth
 and their families  .
   (2) Develop a cohesive vision and plan that ensures a long-term
commitment to issues regarding children and youth  and their
families .
   (3) Align public resources serving children and youth  and
their families  to support their healthy growth and development.

   (4) Promote increased efficiency and improved service delivery by
all government agencies that provide services to children and youth
 ,  and their families.
   96051.  (a) The Children's Cabinet of California is hereby
established within state government  , which shall serve as an
advisory body responsible for improving the collaboration and
processes of the multiple agencies that provide services to the
children and youth of the state  .  The purpose of the
cabinet is to make recommendations to the Governor on ways to improve
the delivery of services to children and families by making those
services more responsive, efficient, and effective, and to support
efforts to carry out those activities.  
   (b) Members of the cabinet shall be appointed by, and serve at the
pleasure of, the Governor. The cabinet shall consist of all of the
following members:  
   (b) The cabinet shall make recommendations to the Governor and the
Legislature on ways to improve the delivery of services to children
and youth and their families by making those services more
responsive, efficient, and effective, and to support efforts to carry
out those activities.  
   (c) The cabinet shall be comprised of the following members: 

   (1) The Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Secretary of
California Health and Human Services, who shall  be cochairs
of the cabinet   serve as cochairs  . 
   (2) The head of each agency and department within the state that
provides services for, or has jurisdiction over the well-being of,
children.  
   (2) The Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court, or his or
her designee.  
   (3) The Secretary of the Department of Corrections and
Rehabilitation, or his or her designee.  
   (4) The Director of Social Services.  
   (5) The Director of Health Care Services.  
   (6) The State Public Health Officer.  
   (7) The Director of Mental Health.  
   (8) The Director of Alcohol and Drug Programs.  
   (9) The Director of Developmental Services.  
   (10) The Director of Child Support Services.  
   (11) Two Members of the Assembly, as appointed by the Speaker of
the Assembly.  
   (12) Two Members of the Senate, as appointed by the President pro
Tempore of the Senate.  
   (3) 
    (13)  Additional members that may be appointed at the
will of the Governor, include  the Lieutenant Governor,
 the First Spouse, the Director of Finance,  the
Director of the Gov   ernor's Office of Gang and Youth
Violence Policy,  or any other ex officio member the Governor
deems necessary. 
   (c) Members of the cabinet shall receive no compensation for their
services, except that they may be reimbursed for actual travel and
related expenses in accordance with state policy.  
   (d) The work of the cabinet shall be guided by the Governor and
the cabinet cochairs.  
   (e) The cabinet shall be responsible for all of the following:
 
   (d) Staffing of the cabinet shall be a shared responsibility among
the cochairs of the cabinet within existing resources or to the
extent private funds are made available for this purpose.  
   (e) The cabinet cochairs shall be responsible for all of the
following: 
   (1) Commencing operation and meeting for  its 
 the cabinet's  organizational session by March 1, 2012.
Thereafter, the cabinet shall meet  at least six times per
year.   no less frequently than each quarter of the
fiscal year and on the call of the cochairs. Members   of
the cabinet shall receive no compensation for their services, except
that they may be reimbursed   for actual travel and related
expenses in accordance with state policy. 
   (2) Appointing  working groups   committees
 , as needed, to further the work of the cabinet to address
specific issues.  Working groups   committees
 shall consist of at least one cabinet member and may include
members of upper level management within the agencies and departments
within the state that provide services for, or have jurisdiction
over the well-being of, children.  Members of the committees
shall receive no compensation from the state for their services,
except that they may be reimbursed for actual travel and related
expenses in accordance with state policy. The committees may assemble
information and make recommendations to the cabinet, but shall not
exercise any powers vested in the cabinet. 
   (3) Identifying at least one upper level management staff person
within each department or agency  serving on the cabinet 
who shall function as a liaison between the cabinet and the
department or agency, and  to  be a point of contact
to address cross-jurisdictional issues in an efficient, effective,
and expeditious manner.
   (4) Providing recommendations to the Governor  and t 
 he Legislature  on a regular basis, including, but not
limited to, a report to the Governor and the Legislature by October
31 of each even-numbered year, notwithstanding Section 10231.5. The
report shall address priorities described in subdivisions (f) and
(g), and shall be distributed to the Governor, all state agencies and
departments, and the Legislature, including, but not limited to, the
Assembly Committee on Accountability and Administrative Review and
the Senate Committee on Governance and Finance, notwithstanding
Section 9795.
   (f) It is the intent of the Legislature that the 
immediate goals of the cabinet include all of  
priorities of the cabinet for 2012 include  the following:
   (1) Developing a plan to maximize California's share of federal
funds for programs that support California's children  and youth
 , including, but not limited to, recommendations on the most
efficient and effective use of those funds. 
   (2) Assessing the efficient and effective delivery of existing
programs and improving the alignment of state and local resources,
including, but not limited to, the elimination or consolidation of
duplicative services, where appropriate.  
   (2) Assessing the quality, appropriateness, efficiency, and
effectiveness of existing programs and services for children and
youth, and, to the greatest extent possible, improving the alignment
of federal, state, and local resources, including, but not limited
to, the elimination or consolidation of duplicative services for
children and youth and their families who would benefit from
integrated services, where appropriate. 
   (g) It is the intent of the Legislature that, in addition to
activities set forth in subdivision (f), the ongoing goals of the
cabinet include all of the following:
   (1) Developing and implementing a shared and cohesive vision using
integrated services to improve child, youth, and family outcomes in
this state.
   (2) Developing a strategic plan to achieve the goals of the shared
and cohesive vision. The plan shall be centered upon a long-term
commitment to children and youth issues and shall align all public
resources to serve children and youth and their families in a manner
that supports the healthy growth and development of children. The
plan shall prepare the children and youth to be responsible citizens
and productive members of the workforce. The plan shall include a
continuum of services that will benefit children from prenatal care
through services for youth in transition to adulthood.
   (3) Establishing and monitoring indicators and benchmarks of child
well-being, and utilizing these data for evaluation and planning.
This may include, but need not be limited to, developing and
implementing measurable outcomes for each state department, agency,
and program that are consistent with the strategic plan. This may
include establishment of a baseline measurement for each outcome and
regularly reporting on the progress made toward achieving the desired
outcome.
   (4) Promoting and implementing data sharing, collaboration,
increased efficiency, and improved service delivery among and within
the state's agencies, departments, and organizations that serve
children  and youth  .
   (5) Coordinating with other state and local coordinating bodies to
support a seamless system of services for children  and youth
 .
   (h) In the conduct of its work pursuant to subdivisions (e), (f),
and (g), the cabinet shall be informed by persons who can provide the
best knowledge, research, and expertise from individuals and
organizations, including, but not limited to, parents, children,
youth, educators, school nurses, public officials, faith-based
organizations, community-based organizations, philanthropic
organizations, local educational agencies, colleges, universities,
health care providers, nonprofit organizations, welfare directors,
mental health directors, probation officers, and other organizations
and individuals as needed to inform the work. The cabinet may further
coordinate with these persons as needed to better coordinate
services for children. 
   (i) The Bureau of State Audits may conduct a performance audit of
the cabinet established pursuant to this chapter and report its
finding to the board and the Legislature on or before January 1,
2018.  
   96052.  This chapter shall remain in effect only until January 1,
2019, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted
statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2019, deletes or extends
that date.