Bill Text: CA AB912 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended

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

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Bill Title: Strategic Anti-Violence Funding Efforts Act.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-2)

Status: (Vetoed) 2024-02-01 - Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file. [AB912 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AB912-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Assembly  March 14, 2023

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 912

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Introduced by Assembly Member Jones-Sawyer

February 14, 2023

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An act to add Article 13.7 (commencing with Section 33485) to Chapter 3 of Part 20 of Division 2 of Title 2 of the Education Code, to amend Section 124174.6 of the Health and Safety Code, to add Title 10.3 (commencing with Section 14138) to Part 4 of the Penal Code, to add Chapter 3.4 (commencing with Section 5660) to Division 5 of the Public Resources Code, and to amend Sections 1450, 1457, 1458, and 1459 of, and to add Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 2300) of Division 2.5 of, and to add and repeal Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 8270) of Division 8 of, and to repeal Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 1450) of Part 1 of Division 2 of, the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to youth, and making an appropriation therefor.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 912, as amended, Jones-Sawyer. Youth reinvestment. Strategic Anti-Violence Funding Efforts Act.

(1) Existing law establishes the Youth Reinvestment Grant Program within the Board of State and Community Corrections to grant funds, upon appropriation, to local jurisdictions and Indian tribes for the purpose of implementing trauma-informed diversion programs for minors, as specified.

This bill would instead place the Youth Reinvestment Grant Program within the Office of Youth and Community Restoration and would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to reflect the change in administering agency. repeal these provisions. The bill would reestablish the Youth Reinvestment Grant Program, to be administered by the Office of Youth and Community Restoration, for the purpose of implementing a mixed-delivery system of trauma-informed health and development diversion programs for youth, as specified. The bill would create the Youth Reinvestment Fund to be used, upon appropriation by the Legislature, by the office for the purposes of the program. The bill would require applicants for the program to be nongovernmental agencies or tribal governments, as specified. The bill would provide that an applicant under this program be awarded no less than $50,000, and no more than $2,000,000, and would specify the requirements of diversion programs to qualify for funding under these provisions. The bill would make an appropriation of $50,000,000 from the General Fund to the Office of Youth and Community Restoration for awarding grants pursuant to the Youth Reinvestment Grant Program.

(2) Existing law establishes, until January 1, 2025, the California Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant Program, administered by the Board of State and Community Corrections, to award competitive grants for the purpose of violence intervention and prevention.

This bill would establish the Department of Justice Violence Reduction Grant Program to be administered by the department for the purpose of supporting evidence-based, focus-deterrence collaborative programs that conduct outreach to targeted gangs and offer supportive services to preemptively reduce and eliminate violence and gang-involvement. gang involvement. The bill would require the department to award grants on a competitive basis, with preference given to cities and local jurisdictions that are disproportionately impacted by violence and gang involvement. The bill would require the department to form a grant selection advisory committee, as specified. The bill would require grantees to report to the department, in a form and at intervals prescribed by the department, regarding the progress in achieving the grant objectives, and would require the department to report to the Legislature on the impact of violence prevention initiatives supported by the grant program. The bill would appropriate a sum of $35,000,000 from the General Fund to the department for the grant program.

(3) Existing law requires the governing board of a school district to give diligent care to the health and physical development of pupils and authorizes the governing board of a school district to employ properly certified persons for the work. Existing law requires a school of a school district or county office of education and a charter school to notify pupils and parents or guardians of pupils no less than twice during the school year on how to initiate access to available pupil mental health services on campus or in the community, or both, as provided.

This bill would create a grant program under the State Department of Education to provide grants to K-12 school districts for the sole purpose of hiring social workers and mental health professionals to provide mental health services to pupils for the improvement in the health and well-being of the youth and school and community stability. The bill would appropriate $50,000,000 from the General Fund to the State Department of Education for this grant program.

This bill would also establish within the California Health and Human Services Agency a 5-year pilot program to evaluate applications and award grants to schools located in the Counties of Alameda, Fresno, Merced, Tulare, Kern, and Los Angeles for implementing to implement the Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) program for the improvement in the health and well-being of the youth and school and community stability. The bill would also require grants to be awarded to a research organization to conduct a study on the effects of the treatment, including any effect on subsequent criminality. The bill would appropriate $50,000,000 from the General Fund to the California Health and Human Services Agency for this grant program.

This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Counties of Alameda, Fresno, Merced, Tulare, Kern, and Los Angeles.

(4) Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health, in cooperation with the State Department of Education, to establish a Public School Health Center Support Program, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to assist school health centers, which are defined as centers or programs, located at or near local educational agencies, that provide age-appropriate health care services at the program site or through referrals, as specified.

This bill would require the department to administer grants pursuant to this program beginning on or before January 1, 2025. The bill would appropriate $50,000,000 from the General Fund to the State Department of Public Health for this grant program.

(4)

(5) Existing law requires the Director of Parks and Recreation to establish the Outdoor Equity Grants Program to increase the ability of underserved and at-risk populations to participate in outdoor environmental educational experiences at state parks and other public lands where outdoor environmental education programs take place.

This bill would create a grant program under the Department of Parks and Recreation to award grants to local governments and community-based organizations for the purpose of supporting existing and creating new parks and recreation opportunities and supporting existing and creating new summer programs for youth in order to create and enhance recreation- and health-based interventions for youth during peak times of violence. The bill would require the department to develop criteria, procedures, and accountability measures to implement the grant program and to administer the grant program to ensure priority is given to underserved populations, as specified. The bill would require the department to give priority for funding to outdoor recreation- and health-based intervention programs during peak times of violence that primarily provide outreach to and serve youth who are impacted by violence and gang involvement in their communities. The bill would also require the department to annually report to the appropriate policy, budget, and fiscal committee of the Legislature regarding the effectiveness of the programs awarded funding in achieving the overall objectives of the grant program. The bill would appropriate $50,000,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Parks and Recreation for the grant program.

Digest Key

Vote: 2/3   Appropriation: YES   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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Bill Text

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

SECTION 1.

 This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the Strategic Anti-Violence Funding Efforts Act, or SAFE Act.

SECTION 1.SEC. 2.

 The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) estimates that savings associated with the closure of prisons and Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) facilities, as well as a declining population of incarcerated persons, will total $1.5 billion annually by 2025.

(b) On December 6, 2022, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) announced the closure of Chuckwalla Valley State Prison (CVSP) and exiting of California City Correctional Facility (Cal City). CVSP will close by March 2025. CDCR will terminate the Cal City contract in March 2024 and end the use of that facility as a state prison.

(c) The LAO estimates that savings associated with the closure of CVSP amounts to $100 million in ongoing funds, and the exiting of Cal City amounts to $135.3 million. Therefore, the closure of CVSP and exiting of Cal City amounts to a cost savings of $235.3 million annually.

(d) It is the intent of the Legislature to reinvest the CDCR cost savings from prison closures and declining incarcerated persons’ populations to do all of the following:

(1) Expand the Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) program.

(2) Provide ongoing funding for the Youth Reinvestment Grant Fund.

(3) Create a fund to support existing and create new parks and recreation opportunities, as well as summer programs for youth.

(4) Increase the number of social workers and mental health professionals at K-12 schools. Provide operational grants to school-based health centers in order to provide physical health and mental health services to youth on school sites.

(5) Create a fund to support early intervention programs to reduce violence by mentoring “at-promise” individuals.

SEC. 2.Article 13.7 (commencing with Section 33485) is added to Chapter 3 of Part 20 of Division 2 of Title 2 of the Education Code, to read:

13.7.Mental Health Services Grants

33485.

(a)The department shall award grants to K-12 school districts for the sole purpose of hiring social workers and mental health professionals to provide mental health services to pupils for the improvement in the health and well-being of the youth and school and community stability.

(b)The department shall award grants on a competitive basis and establish minimum standards, funding schedules, and procedures for awarding grants that further the purpose of this article.

SEC. 3.

 Section 124174.6 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:

124174.6.

 The department shall establish a grant program within the Public School Health Center Support Program to provide technical assistance, and funding for the expansion, renovation, and retrofitting of existing school health centers, and the development of new school health centers, in accordance with the following procedures and requirements:

(a) A school health center receiving grant funds pursuant to this section shall meet or have a plan to meet the following requirements:

(1) Strive to provide a comprehensive set of services including medical, oral health, mental health, health education, and related services in response to community needs.

(2) Provide primary and other health care services, provided or supervised by a licensed professional, which may include all of the following:

(A) Physical examinations, immunizations, and other preventive medical services.

(B) Diagnosis and treatment of minor injuries and acute medical conditions.

(C) Management of chronic medical conditions.

(D) Basic laboratory tests.

(E) Referrals to and followup for specialty care.

(F) Reproductive health services.

(G) Nutrition services.

(H) Mental health services provided or supervised by an appropriately licensed mental health professional may include: assessments, crisis intervention, counseling, treatment, and referral to a continuum of services including emergency psychiatric care, community support programs, inpatient care, and outpatient programs. School health centers providing mental health services as specified in this section shall consult with the local county mental health department for collaboration in planning and service delivery.

(I) Oral health services that may include preventive services, basic restorative services, and referral to specialty services.

(3) Work in partnership with the school nurse, if one is employed by the school or school district, to provide individual and family health education; school or districtwide health promotion; first aid and administration of medications; facilitation of student enrollment in health insurance programs; screening of students to identify the need for physical, mental health, and oral health services; referral and linkage to services not offered onsite; public health and disease surveillance; and emergency response procedures. A school health center may receive grant funding pursuant to this section if the school or school district does not employ a school nurse. However, it is not the intent of the Legislature that a school health center serve as a substitute for a school nurse employed by a local school or school district.

(4) Have a written contract or memorandum of understanding between the school district and the health care provider or any other community providers that ensures coordination of services, ensures confidentiality and privacy of health information consistent with applicable federal and state laws, and integration of services into the school environment.

(5) Serve all registered students in the school regardless of ability to pay.

(6) Be open during all normal school hours, or on a more limited basis if resources are not available, or on a more expansive basis if dictated by community needs and resources are available.

(7) Establish protocols for referring students to outside services when the school health center is closed.

(8) Facilitate transportation between the school and the health center if the health center is not located on school or school district property.

(b) Planning Beginning on or before January 1, 2025, planning grants shall be available in amounts between twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) and fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for a 6- to 12-month period to be used for the costs associated with assessing the need for a school health center in a particular community or area, and developing the partnerships necessary for the operation of a school health center in that community or area. Applicants for planning grants shall be required to have a letter of interest from a school or district if the applicant is not a local education agency. Grantees provided funding pursuant to this subdivision shall be required to do all of the following:

(1) Seek input from students, parents, school nurses, school staff and administration, local health providers, and if applicable, special population groups, on community health needs, barriers to health care and the need for a school health center.

(2) Collect data on the school and community to estimate the percentage of students that lack health insurance and the percentage that are eligible for Medi-Cal benefits, or other public programs providing free or low-cost health services.

(3) Assess capacity and interest among health care providers in the community to provide services in a school health center. 

(4) Assess the need for specific cultural or linguistic services or both.

(c) Facilities Beginning on or before January 1, 2025, facilities and startup grants shall be available in amounts between twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) and two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) per year for a three-year period for the purpose of establishing a school health center, with the potential addition of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) in the first year for facilities construction, purchase, or renovation. Grant funds may be used to cover a portion or all of the costs associated with designing, retrofitting, renovating, constructing, or buying a facility, for medical equipment and supplies for a school health center, or for personnel costs at a school health center. Preference will be given to proposals that include a plan for cost sharing among schools, health providers, and community organizations for facilities construction and renovation costs. Applicants for facilities and startup grants offered pursuant to this subdivision shall be required to meet the following criteria:

(1) Have completed a community assessment determining the need for a school health center.

(2) Have a contract or memorandum of understanding between the school district and the health care provider, if other than the district, and any other provider agencies describing the relationship between the district and the school health center.

(3) Have a mechanism, described in writing, to coordinate services to individual students among school and school health center staff while maintaining confidentiality and privacy of health information consistent with applicable state and federal laws.

(4) Have a written description of how the school health center will participate in the following:

(A) School and districtwide health promotion, coordinated school health, health education in the classroom or on campus, program/activities that address nutrition, fitness, or other important public health issues, or promotion of policies that create a healthy school environment.

(B) Outreach and enrollment of students in health insurance programs.

(C) Public health prevention, surveillance, and emergency response for the school population.

(5) Have the ability to provide the linguistic or cultural services needed by the community. If the school health center is not yet able to provide these services due to resource limitations, the school health center shall engage in an ongoing assessment of its capacity to provide these services.

(6) Have a plan for maximizing available third-party reimbursement revenue streams.

(d) Sustainability Beginning on or before January 1, 2025, sustainability grants shall be available in amounts between twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) and one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars ($125,000) per year for a three-year period for the purpose of operating a school health center, or enhancing programming at a fully operational school health center, including oral health or mental health services. Applicants for sustainability grants offered pursuant to this subdivision shall be required to meet all of the criteria described in subdivision (c), in addition to both of the following criteria:

(1) The applicant shall be eligible to become or already be an approved Medi-Cal provider.

(2) The applicant shall have ability and procedures in place for billing public insurance programs and managed care providers.

(3) The applicant shall seek reimbursement and have procedures in place for billing public and private insurance that covers students at the school health center.

(e) The department shall award technical assistance grants through a competitive bidding process to qualified contractors to support grantees receiving grants under subdivisions (b), (c), and (d). A qualified contractor means a vendor with demonstrated capacity in all aspects of planning, facilities development, startup, and operation of a school health center.

(f) The department shall also develop a request for proposal (RFP) process for collecting information on applicants, and determining which proposals shall receive grant funding. The department shall give preference for grant funding to the following schools:

(1) Schools in areas designated as federally medically underserved areas or in areas with medically underserved populations.

(2) Schools with a high percentage of low-income and uninsured children and youth.

(3) Schools with large numbers of limited English proficient (LEP) students.

(4) Schools in areas with a shortage of health professionals.

(5) Low-performing schools with Academic Performance Index (API) rankings in the deciles of three and below of the state.

(g) Moneys shall be allocated to the department annually for evaluation to be conducted by an outside evaluator that is selected through a competitive bidding process. The evaluation shall document the number of grantees that establish and sustain school health centers, and describe the challenges and lessons learned in creating successful school health centers. The evaluator shall use data collected pursuant to Section 124174.3, if it is available, and work in collaboration with the Public School Health Center Support Program. The department shall post the evaluation on its Internet Web site. internet website.

(h)This section shall be implemented only to the extent that funds are appropriated to the department in the annual Budget Act or other statute for implementation of this article.

SEC. 3.SEC. 4.

 Title 10.3 (commencing with Section 14138) is added to Part 4 of the Penal Code, to read:

TITLE 10.3. Department of Justice Violence Reduction Grant Program

14138.

 (a) The Department of Justice shall administer a grant program for the purpose of supporting evidence-based, focus-deterrence collaborative programs that conduct outreach to targeted gangs and offer supportive services to preemptively reduce and eliminate violence and gang involvement. These collaborative programs shall offer supportive services, which include job training, healthcare, and crisis response to shootings and violence, among other services. improving public safety and community health and well-being, especially amongst those communities that are impacted by violence and gang involvement.

(b)The department shall award grants on a competitive basis and establish minimum standards, funding schedules, and procedures for awarding grants that further the purpose of this chapter.

(b) Grants awarded pursuant to this section shall be used to support, expand, and replicate evidence-based, focused-deterrence collaborative programs that conduct outreach to targeted gangs and offer supportive services in order to preemptively reduce and eliminate violence and gang involvement. These programs shall be primarily designed to reduce violent crimes by bringing together a collaborative partnership to communicate to individuals who are identified as having the highest risk of perpetrating or being victimized by violence or gang involvement in the near future that there are tailored services and support available to help them step away from violence. The supportive services shall include, but are not limited to, job training, health care, and crisis response to shootings and violence, among other services.

(c) Grants pursuant to this section shall be made on a competitive basis with preference to cities and local jurisdictions that are disproportionately impacted by violence and gang involvement, and to community-based organizations that serve the residents of those cities and local jurisdictions.

(d) An applicant for a grant pursuant to this section shall submit a proposal, in a form prescribed by the department, which shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:

(1) Clearly defined and measurable objectives for the grant.

(2) A statement describing how the applicant proposes to use the grant to implement an evidence-based, focused-deterrence violence reduction initiative in accordance with this section.

(3) A statement describing how the applicant proposes to use the grant to enhance coordination of existing violence prevention and intervention programs and minimize duplication of services.

(4) Evidence indicating that the proposed violence reduction initiative would likely reduce the incidence of homicides, shootings, aggravated assaults, and gang involvement.

(e) In awarding grants pursuant to this section, the department shall give preference to applicants whose grant proposals demonstrate the greatest likelihood of reducing the incidence of violence and gang involvement in the applicant’s community, without contributing to mass incarceration.

(f) The amount of funds awarded to an applicant shall be commensurate with the scope of the applicant’s proposal and the applicant’s demonstrated need for additional resources to address violence in the applicant’s community.

(g) Each grantee shall commit a cash or in-kind contribution equivalent to the amount of the grant awarded under this section.

(h) Each city and other local jurisdiction that receives a grant pursuant to this section shall distribute no less than 50 percent of the grant funds to one or both of the following types of entities:

(1) Community-based organizations.

(2) Public agencies or departments that are primarily dedicated to community safety or violence prevention.

(i) The department shall form a grant selection advisory committee, including, without limitation, persons who have been impacted by violence, formerly incarcerated persons, and persons with direct experience in implementing evidence-based violence and gang involvement reduction initiatives, including initiatives that incorporate public health and community-based approaches.

(j) The department may use up to 7 percent of the funds appropriated for the program described in this section each year for the costs of administering the program, including, without limitation, the employment of personnel, providing technical assistance to grantees, and evaluation of violence and gang involvement reduction initiatives supported by the program pursuant to this section.

(k) Each grantee shall report to the department, in a form and at intervals prescribed by the department, their progress in achieving the grant objectives.

(l) The department shall, by no later than 90 days following the close of each grant cycle, prepare and submit a report to the Legislature in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code regarding the impact of the violence prevention initiatives supported by the program pursuant to this section.

(m) The department shall make evaluations of the grant program available to the public.

SEC. 4.SEC. 5.

 Chapter 3.4 (commencing with Section 5660) is added to Division 5 of the Public Resources Code, to read:

CHAPTER  3.4. Parks and Recreation for Youth

5660.

 (a) The department shall award grants to local governments and community-based organizations for the purpose of supporting existing and creating new parks and recreation opportunities, as well as supporting existing and creating new summer programs for youth, including, but not limited to, extended park hours and expanded programming for nighttime sports, educational activities, and visual and performing arts opportunities, in order to create and enhance recreation- and health-based interventions for youth during peak times of violence.

(b)The department shall award grants on a competitive basis and establish minimum standards, funding schedules, and procedures for awarding grants that further the purpose of this chapter.

(b) In developing the grant program, the department shall do both of the following:

(1) Develop criteria, procedures, and accountability measures as may be necessary to implement the grant program.

(2) Administer the grant program to ensure that priority is given to underserved populations, including both urban and rural areas and low-income communities, where participation in outdoor recreation- and health-based activities will best serve youth as intervention and deterrence from violence.

(c) The department shall give priority for funding to outdoor recreation- and health-based intervention programs during peak times of violence that primarily provide outreach to and serve youth who are impacted by violence and gang involvement in their communities.

(d) The department may give additional consideration to outdoor recreation- and health-based intervention programs during peak times of violence that do any of the following:

(1) Maximize the number of participants that can be served.

(2) Demonstrate partnerships between public, private, and nonprofit entities.

(3) Contribute to healthy lifestyles, violence prevention and gang deterrence, and improved outdoor recreational and health experiences.

(4) Include service learning and community outreach components for purposes of building partnerships between participants and local communities.

(e) In implementing the grant program, the department shall work with relevant stakeholders to promote and implement the grant program in a manner that effectively reaches a wide geography throughout the state and ensures that regions most impacted by violence and gang involvement are adequately considered with an emphasis on addressing the violence prevention and gang deterrence needs within these regions.

5661.

 The department shall gather information from applicants following each award year for purposes of evaluating the effectiveness of selected programs in achieving the overall objectives of the grant program. Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, the department shall annually summarize and report this information for the previous award year to the appropriate policy, budget, and fiscal committees of the Legislature. The information in the annual report shall include the total number of youth served, the total number and types of entities that received grant awards, appropriate recommendations to improve the grant program, partnerships formed, educational objectives achieved, the total number of applications received, and the total number of youth who would have been served if all applicants for the award year received grant awards.

5662.

 The department shall adopt guidelines it determines are necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter. Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code does not apply to the adoption of guidelines pursuant to this section. The department shall develop a process for public comment and review of the guidelines that involves three public hearings in three different parts of the state before the adoption of those guidelines.

SEC. 5.Section 1450 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:

1450.

(a)There is hereby established the Youth Reinvestment Grant Program within the Office of Youth and Community Restoration to grant funds pursuant to this chapter, upon an appropriation of funds for the purposes described in this chapter.

(b)(1)Notwithstanding any other law, the board may use any funds that were appropriated to the board in the Budget Act of 2018, but that have not been allocated as of January 1, 2020, for grants, as prescribed in Article 4 (commencing with Section 1456).

(2)Funds appropriated to the board in the Budget Act of 2019 for purposes of the Youth Reinvestment Fund grant program shall be used for grants, as prescribed in Article 4 (commencing with Section 1456).

(3)Funds appropriated to the board in the Budget Act of 2019 for purposes of the Tribal Youth Diversion grant program shall be used for grants, as prescribed in Article 2 (commencing with Section 1452).

(c)Three percent of the funds in the Youth Reinvestment Grant Program shall be used for administrative costs to the board resulting from the implementation of this chapter.

SEC. 6.Section 1457 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:

1457.

For purposes of this article, the following definitions apply:

(a)“Applicant” means a nonprofit organization or local governmental entity.

(b)“Area of high need” means either of the following:

(1)A city or a ZIP Code with rates of youth arrests that are higher than the county average, based on available arrest data, as described by the applicant.

(2)A city or a ZIP Code with racial or ethnic disparities in youth arrests that are higher than their representation in the county population, as described by the applicant.

(c)“Office” means the Office of Youth and Community Restoration.

(d)“Diversion program” means a program that promotes positive youth development by relying on responses that prevent a young person’s involvement or further involvement in the justice system. Diversion programs, which may follow a variety of different models, aim to divert youth from justice system engagement at the earliest possible point. Departments or agencies that may refer youth to diversion programs include, but are not limited to, schools, service organizations, police, probation, or prosecutors.

(e)“Local governmental entity” means a local government agency, including, but not limited to, a county child welfare agency, county probation department, county behavioral health department, county public health department, school district, or county office of education.

(f)“Nonprofit organization” means a private, community-based organization that is exempt from taxation pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code, and that is nongovernmental and does not carry out any law enforcement duties.

SEC. 7.Section 1458 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:

1458.

(a)The office shall allocate funds appropriated pursuant to Section 1450 through a competitive grant process for the purpose of implementing trauma-informed diversion programs for youth.

(b)The office shall distribute a grant under this article pursuant to all of the following conditions:

(1)A local governmental entity or nonprofit organization shall be awarded no less than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) and no more than two million dollars ($2,000,000).

(2)(A)An applicant shall provide at least a 25-percent cash or in-kind match to the grant that it receives pursuant to this article. Funds used to provide the 25-percent match amount may include a combination of federal, other state, local, or private funds.

(B)Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), an applicant entity may provide less than a 25-percent match, but at least a 10-percent cash or in-kind match, to the grant if the applicant identifies the service area as high need with low or no local infrastructure for diversion programming.

(3)Ninety percent of the funds awarded to a local government entity shall pass through to community-based organizations to deliver services in underserved communities with high rates of youth arrests, as described by the applicant.

(4)(A)Services shall be community based, located in communities of local jurisdictions with high needs.

(B)Services shall be evidence based or research supported, trauma informed, culturally relevant, and developmentally appropriate.

(C)Direct service providers who receive funding from a grant pursuant to this article shall be nongovernmental and not law enforcement or probation entities.

(D)Direct service providers shall have experience effectively serving at-risk youth populations.

(E)Diversion programs shall include alternatives to arrest, incarceration, and formal involvement with the juvenile justice system. Diversion programs shall also include one or more of the following:

(i)Educational services, including academic and vocational services.

(ii)Mentoring services.

(iii)Behavioral health services.

(iv)Mental health services.

(c)Multiple applicants may apply for funding under this article on a regional basis in a single application and receive the aggregate amount of funds that they would have received if awarded as independent applicants.

SEC. 8.Section 1459 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:

1459.

The office shall be responsible for administration oversight and accountability of the grant program under this article and shall perform both of the following duties:

(a)Support grantee data collection and analysis and require grantees to provide outcomes of the funded programs.

(b)(1)Set aside up to two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) of funds appropriated for purposes of the grant program, exclusive of the funds set aside for administrative costs to the office pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 1450, to contract with a research firm or university to conduct a statewide evaluation of the grant program and its outcomes over a three-year grant period.

(2)The office shall make available on its internet website a report of grantees, projects, and outcomes at the state and local levels within 180 days of completion of the grant cycle.

(3)The office shall assist the research firm or university by providing relevant, existing data for the purposes of tracking outcomes. Measures may include, but are not limited to, any of the following:

(A)Reductions in law enforcement responses to youth for low-level offenses, court caseloads and processing, days the youth spend in detention, placement of youth in congregate care, school and placement disruptions, and facility staff turnover.

(B)Improvement in the health and well-being of the youth, school and community stability, educational attainment, and employment opportunities.

(C)Projected state and local cost savings as a result of the diversion programming.

SEC. 6.

 Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 1450) of Part 1 of Division 2 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed.

SEC. 7.

 Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 2300) is added to Division 2.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:

CHAPTER  6. Youth Reinvestment Grant Program

2300.

 (a) The Office of Youth and Community Restoration shall establish the Youth Reinvestment Grant Program for the purposes described in this chapter.

(b) The Youth Reinvestment Fund is hereby created. Moneys in the fund shall be available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, only for the purposes of this chapter.

(c) Funds appropriated for the Youth Reinvestment Grant Program shall be allocated in each fiscal year as follows:

(1) Three percent shall be used for administrative costs to the office resulting from the implementation of this chapter.

(2) Five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) for evaluation of the Youth Reinvestment Grant Program as described in Section 2305.

(3) Five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) for technical assistance to grantees as described in Section 2305.

(4) Ten percent for Native American youth diversion programs pursuant to Section 2302.

(5) The remaining funds shall be used for youth diversion programs pursuant to Section 2303.

2301.

 For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply:

(a) “Applicant” means an eligible tribal government, tribal organization, or a nonprofit community-based organization that meets the requirements of Section 2302 or 2303.

(b) “Area of high need” means either of the following:

(1) A city or a ZIP Code with rates of youth arrests that are higher than the county average, based on available arrest data, as described by the applicant.

(2) A city or a ZIP Code with racial or ethnic disparities in youth arrests that are higher than their representation in the county population, as described by the applicant.

(c) “Diversion” means a nonpunitive response to address a youth’s conduct without involving a youth formally in the juvenile justice system.

(d) “Diversion program” means a program that promotes positive youth development by relying on responses that prevent a youth’s involvement or further involvement in the justice system. Diversion programs, which may follow a variety of different models, aim to divert youth from justice system involvement at the earliest possible point.

(e) “Mixed-delivery system” means a system of adolescent development and education support services delivered through a combination of programs, providers, and settings that include partnerships between community-based nonprofit organizations and public agencies and that is supported with a combination of public and private funds.

(f) “Office” means the Office of Youth and Community Restoration.

(g) “Referring agency” means organizations or agencies that may refer youth to diversion programs, including, but not limited to, education, law enforcement, child welfare, behavioral health, and public health entities.

(h) “Trauma-informed” means an approach that involves an understanding of adverse childhood experiences and responding to symptoms of chronic interpersonal trauma and traumatic stress across the lifespan of an individual.

(i) “Youth” means a person who is subject to the jurisdiction of the juvenile court.

2302.

 (a) The office shall allocate funds pursuant to Section 2300 through a three-year competitive grant program for the purpose of implementing a mixed-delivery system of trauma-informed health and development diversion programs for Native American youth.

(b) In addition to the conditions described in Section 2304, an entity is eligible for funding under this section if it is not otherwise excluded by another law, and is one of the following:

(1) A federally recognized Indian tribe, as defined in Section 1603(14) of Title 25 of the United States Code.

(2) A tribal organization, as defined in Section 1603(26) of Title 25 of the United States Code.

(3) An Urban Indian Organization (UIO), as defined in Section 1603(29) of Title 25 of the United States Code.

(4) A nonprofit organization whose board of directors is majority controlled by Native Americans, including organizations that are fiscally sponsored.

(c) Applicants who receive funding from a grant pursuant to this section shall be nongovernmental entities, with the exception of tribal government applicants, and shall not be law enforcement or probation entities.

2303.

 (a) The office shall allocate funds pursuant to Section 2300 through a three-year competitive grant program for the purpose of implementing a mixed-delivery system of trauma-informed health and development diversion programs for youth.

(b) In addition to the conditions described in Section 2304, in order to be eligible, an applicant shall be a nonprofit organization that is tax exempt pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code.

(c) Applicants who receive funding from a grant pursuant to this section shall be nongovernmental entities and shall not be law enforcement or probation entities.

2304.

 The office shall distribute grants pursuant to Sections 2302 and 2303 with all of the following conditions:

(a) An applicant shall be awarded no less than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) and no more than two million dollars ($2,000,000).

(b) Applicants from two or more local jurisdictions may apply for funding under this chapter on a regional effort basis and receive the aggregate amount of funds that they would have received if awarded as an independent applicant.

(c) Grants shall be distributed in three installments. The first installment shall be distributed on the first day of the grant contract. The second installment shall be distributed no later than the first day of the second year of the grant contract. The third installment shall be distributed no later than the first day of the third year of the grant contract. The second and third installments shall be contingent on the applicant fulfilling the grant obligations and reporting requirements to the office.

(d) Funds shall be awarded to applicants who have obtained an official letter from at least one referring agency demonstrating the agency’s intent to refer diverted youth to the diversion program to provide the youth with trauma-informed health and development services. For regional applications, letters of intent shall be required for each jurisdiction proposed in the application.

(e) Diversion services shall be provided in communities described as areas with high needs.

(f) Services shall be evidence based or research supported, trauma informed, culturally relevant, gender responsive, and developmentally appropriate.

(g) Applicants shall have experience effectively serving populations of youth who are juvenile justice system-involved or at-risk of system involvement.

(h) Priority shall be given to organizations that employ people with lived experience as a youth in the juvenile justice system.

(i) Diversion programs shall include alternatives to arrest, incarceration, and formal involvement with the justice system with a priority on programs that divert youth at the earliest possible point of involvement. Diversion programs shall also include one or more of the following:

(1) Educational services, including academic and personal development services.

(2) Career development services, including employment preparation, vocational training, internships, and apprenticeships.

(3) Mentoring services, including credible messenger services.

(4) Behavioral health services, including substance use treatment.

(5) Mental health services.

(6) Housing services, including permanent, short-term, and emergency housing services.

(7) Personal development and leadership training programs.

(8) Prosocial activities, including cultural enrichment programs and services.

2305.

 (a) The office shall be responsible for administration, oversight, and compliance of the program under this chapter and shall perform all the following duties:

(1) Support grantee data collection and analysis and require grantees to demonstrate outcomes of the funded programs.

(2) (A) Set aside five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) of funds appropriated for purposes of the program, exclusive of the funds set aside for administrative costs to the office pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 2300, to contract with a research firm or university to conduct a statewide evaluation of the program and youth outcomes over a three-year grant period.

(B) The office shall make available on its internet website a report of grantees, projects, and outcomes at the state and local levels within 180 days of completion of the program.

(C) The office shall assist the research firm or university by providing relevant, existing data for the purposes of tracking outcomes. Outcomes measured may include, but are not limited to, any of the following:

(i) Reductions in law enforcement responses to youth for low-level offenses, court caseloads and processing, days the youth spend in detention, placement of youth in congregate care, school and placement disruptions, and facility staff turnover.

(ii) Reduction in the number of school suspensions and expulsions.

(iii) Improvement in the health and well-being of the youth, housing and community stability, educational attainment, and connections to employment opportunities.

(D) Projected state and local cost savings as a result of the diversion programming.

(3) (A) Set aside five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) of funds appropriated for purposes of the program, exclusive of the funds set aside for administrative costs and evaluation, to contract with a technical assistance provider to support implementation of the program.

(B) Support from the technical assistance provider to the grantees shall include all of the following:

(i) Provide grantees with support in establishing and maintaining relationships with system and community stakeholders, including public agencies, labor unions, tribal governments and communities, nonprofit organizations, and youth and families most impacted.

(ii) Provide grantees with training and support in implementing best practices and trauma informed, culturally relevant, gender responsive, and developmentally appropriate approaches to serving youth.

(iii) Create peer learning opportunities for grantee organizations to learn from and alongside one another.

(iv) Provide grantees with administrative and technical support to ensure compliance with data reporting, evaluation, and applicable laws, including confidentiality and diversion eligibility.

(C) The technical assistance provider shall have experience in all the following areas:

(i) Developmental research and best practices for serving youth involved in the justice system and youth at risk of involvement, including children who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and youth in the dependency system.

(ii) Research and best practices on systems that refer youths to the juvenile justice system, including the education, immigration, and child welfare systems.

(iii) Presenting and disseminating best practices on alternatives to incarceration and system involvement.

(iv) Working with and supporting community-based organizations serving youth involved in the justice system and youth at-risk of involvement in California.

(v) Collaborating with juvenile justice system stakeholders.

(vi) Working with and supporting Native American organizations and communities.

(vii) Working with juvenile justice system-involved youth and communities and with elevating youth leadership.

(viii) Priority shall be given to organizations that employ people with lived experience as youth in the juvenile justice system.

SEC. 9.SEC. 8.

 Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 8270) is added to Division 8 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:

CHAPTER  9. Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma Pilot Program

8270.

 (a) The California Health and Human Services Agency shall administer a five-year pilot program to evaluate applications and award grants to schools located in the Counties of Alameda, Fresno, Merced, Tulare, Kern, and Los Angeles for the purpose of implementing the Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) program, and to an organization to study specified student outcomes, for the improvement in the health and well-being of the youth and school and community stability. For the purposes of this program, “school” includes charter schools.

(b)The agency shall award grants on a competitive basis and establish minimum standards, funding schedules, and procedures for awarding grants that take into consideration, but not be limited to, the jurisdiction’s capacity and commitment to coordinate social services and to work to ensure that the discretionary decisions made by each participant in the administration of the program operates in a manner consistent with the purposes of this chapter.

(b) The agency shall award a grant to a school that meets all of the following criteria:

(1) The school uses the award for the purpose of implementing the CBITS program.

(2) The school is located in a region most impacted by gun violence as indicated by violent crime data and whose students typically are unable to access traditional services, including, but not limited to, students who are low income or homeless, display symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder or severe-trauma related symptoms, members of immigrant and refugee groups, students with disabilities, and students who interact with child protective systems or who have had contact with the juvenile justice system.

(3) The school presents substantial plans for the collection and distribution of information to an appointed research organization and for fidelity monitoring of its CBITS program.

(4) Any other related criteria required by the agency.

(c) The agency, when considering the research grant applications, shall give preference to research organizations or universities that meet all of the following criteria:

(1) Study under-resourced, chronically traumatized neighborhoods where community violence is prevalent.

(2) Have a demonstrated track record of collaborating with schools to create trauma-informed and trauma-sensitive school environments.

(3) Have a demonstrated track record of studying children and youth who have received school-based trauma recovery care.

(d) A research organization or university that is awarded a grant shall do all of the following:

(1) Report to the agency annually on how grant funds were spent, expected and current preliminary data outcomes, and treatment outcomes, including academic performance, trauma-related symptom rates, and rates of criminal offenses.

(2) Publish a report to the Legislature by December 1, 2028, regarding the effectiveness of the pilot program in improving child outcomes, including, but not limited to, academic performance, truancy rates, disciplinary actions, and rates of criminal offenses.

(3) Ensure any information disseminated to the public is distributed in accordance with Section 13202 of the Penal Code.

8270.3.

 This chapter shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2029, and as of that date is repealed.

SEC. 10.SEC. 9.

 The Legislature finds and declares that a special statute is necessary and that a general statute cannot be made applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution because of the high rate of violent crime in the Counties of Alameda, Fresno, Merced, Tulare, Kern, and Los Angeles.

SEC. 11.SEC. 10.

 The sum of two hundred thirty five thirty-five million dollars ($235,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund for the purpose of delivering diversion and alternative-sanction programs, academic- and vocational-education services, mentoring, behavioral health services, and mental health services, as follows:

(a) The sum of fifty million dollars ($50,000,000) to the California Health and Human Services Agency for the purposes of administering the Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) pilot program pursuant to Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 8270) of Division 8 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

(b) The sum of fifty million dollars ($50,000,000) to the Office of Youth and Community Restoration for the purpose of awarding grants pursuant to the Youth Reinvestment Grant Program pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 1450) of Part 1 of Division 2 Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 2300) of Division 2.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

(c) The sum of fifty million dollars ($50,000,000) to the Department of Parks and Recreation to award grants pursuant to Chapter 3.4 (commencing with Section 5660) of Division 5 of the Public Resources Code.

(d) The sum of fifty million dollars ($50,000,000) to the State Department of Education to provide additional funds to K-12 schools for the sole purpose of hiring social workers and mental health professionals to provide mental health services to pupils pursuant to Section 33485 of the Education Code. Public Health to provide operational grants to school-based health centers in order to provide physical health and mental health services to youth on school sites pursuant to Article 10 (commencing with Section 124174) of Chapter 3 of Part 2 of Division 106 of the Health and Safety Code.

(e) The sum of thirty five thirty-five million dollars ($35,000,000) to the Department of Justice for the purposes of providing funds to support evidence-based, focus-deterrence collaborative programs that conduct direct outreach to targeted gangs in order to preemptively reduce and eliminate violence and gang-involvement gang involvement pursuant to Title 10.3 (commencing with Section 14138) of Part 4 of the Penal Code.