Amended  IN  Senate  May 18, 2023
Amended  IN  Senate  March 21, 2023

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill
No. 589

Introduced by Senator Alvarado-Gil
(Coauthor: Senator Jones)
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Aguiar-Curry, Ramos, and Schiavo)

February 15, 2023

An act to add Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 16590) to Part 4 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to foster youth.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 589, as amended, Alvarado-Gil. Foster youth: disaster aid assistance.
Existing law generally provides for the placement of foster youth in various placement settings and governs the provision of child welfare services, which is defined to mean public social services that are directed toward the accomplishment of specified purposes, including protecting and promoting the welfare of all children, preventing the unnecessary separation of children from their families, and restoring to their families children who have been removed.
Existing law requires the State Department of Social Services to ensure that, among other things, emergency response services are coordinated with the implementation of specified program models. Existing law also requires each county to provide the department with a disaster response plan describing how county programs that receive federal assistance for child and family services would respond to a disaster. Existing law also requires the department to review its disaster plan, revise the plan to clarify the role and responsibilities of the state in the event of a disaster, and consult with counties to identify opportunities for collaboration in the event of a disaster.
This bill would establish the Child Welfare Disaster Response Program, to be administered by the department. The bill would establish the Child Welfare Disaster Response Account to fund the program. The bill would require, upon appropriation by the Legislature, $2,000,000 to be allocated from the General Fund to the Child Welfare Disaster Response Account for purposes of the program and to support the needs of foster children and youth and their caregivers during a disaster. The bill would require the department to determine eligibility criteria for applicants and would authorize county child welfare departments to apply for funds. The bill would require funds awarded pursuant those provisions to be available to meet the housing, clothing, transportation transportation, and other tangible needs of foster children and youth and their caregivers that occur within 180 days of a local emergency proclamation by a local government or a state of emergency proclamation by the Governor.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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


SECTION 1.

 Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 16590) is added to Part 4 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:
CHAPTER  8. Disaster Aid Assistance for Foster Children, Youth and Families

16590.
 (a) The Child Welfare Disaster Response Program is hereby created, and is to be administered by the department.
(b) The Child Welfare Disaster Response Account is hereby created to fund the program.
(c) Upon appropriation by the Legislature, two million dollars ($2,000,000) shall be allocated from the General Fund to the Child Welfare Disaster Response Account for purposes of the program and to support the needs of foster children and youth and their caregivers during a disaster.

16590.1.
 (a) The department shall determine eligibility criteria for the allocation of funds to applicants.
(b) County child welfare departments may apply for funds.
(c) Funds awarded pursuant to this chapter shall be available to meet the housing, clothing, transportation, and other tangible needs of foster children and youth and their caregivers that occur within 180 days of a local emergency proclamation by a local government or a state of emergency proclamation by the Governor.

16590.2.
 It is the intent of the Legislature that the Child Welfare Disaster Response Account may be replenished at the start of every fiscal year.

16590.3.
 Gifts, donations, and bequests may be made to the Child Welfare Disaster Response Account, subject to any conditions or restrictions from the department.