AB 169

Bill Subjects

Abstract

(1) Existing law establishes the Board of State and Community Corrections, and requires the board to act as the supervisory board of the state planning agency pursuant to the federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974. Existing law creates the Office of Youth and Community Restoration within the California Health and Human Services Agency to promote trauma-responsive, culturally informed services for youth involved in the juvenile justice system, as specified. Existing law grants the office the responsibility and authority to report on youth outcomes, identify policy recommendations, identify and disseminate best practices, and provide technical assistance to develop and expand local youth diversion opportunities. Existing law requires all juvenile justice grant administration functions in the Board of State and Community Corrections to be moved to the office no later than January 1, 2025. Existing law requires the office to, by July 1, 2025, evaluate the efficacy of local programs being utilized for realigned youth and report its findings to the Governor and the Legislature. This bill would, commencing July 1, 2024, require the Office of Youth and Community Restoration to instead act as the designated state agency pursuant to the federal Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2018 and would make conforming changes. The bill would additionally require the office, until January 1, 2030, to publish certain data on its internet website, at specified intervals, including the number of youth adjudicated for certain offenses and the number of youth committed to secure youth treatment facilities. The bill would also require counties, until January 1, 2030, to report the above-described data to the office. The bill would authorize the office to implement these provisions by means of written guidelines or similar instructions. By imposing additional duties on local entities to provide certain data, the bill would create a state-mandated local program. (2) Under existing law, there is established in each county treasury a Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Account (SLESA) to receive all amounts allocated to a county for specified purposes. Existing law requires the moneys to be allocated in specified amounts to a county or city and county to implement a comprehensive multiagency juvenile justice plan, as specified. Existing law requires the plan to be annually submitted to the Board of State and Community Corrections. Existing law requires a county or city and county to submit a report to the board of supervisors and the board to assess the effectiveness of the programs, strategies, and system enhancements funded under these provisions. This bill would transfer the board's duties under these provisions to the Office of Youth and Community Restoration and make related, conforming changes. (3) Existing law establishes the Juvenile Reentry Grant to provide for the local supervision of persons discharged from the custody of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Division of Juvenile Facilities. Existing law requires the amount allocated to each county probation department from the Juvenile Reentry Grant Special Account be distributed pursuant to specified criteria. Existing law requires the Board of State and Community Corrections to provide an annual report to the Department of Finance regarding each discharged ward returned to a local juvenile detention facility, as specified. Under existing law, the Division of Juvenile Justice closed on June 30, 2023. This bill would remove references to the Division of Juvenile Justice and require distribution of funds under the Juvenile Reentry Grant for local supervision of persons discharged at the end of their baseline term or modified baseline term, as specified. The bill would additionally transfer responsibilities to provide annual reports regarding discharged youth to the Office of Youth and Community Restoration beginning with the 2024–25 fiscal year. The bill would specify the contents of the report to be provided to the Department of Finance, including, among other things, identifying information of each ward discharged from a secure youth treatment facility. The bill would remove obsolete cross-references and make other conforming changes to reflect the closure of the Division of Juvenile Justice. (4) Existing law establishes the Juvenile Justice Realignment Block Grant program to provide county-based custody, care, and supervision of youth who are realigned from the Division of Juvenile Justice or who would have otherwise been eligible for commitment to the division. Existing law appropriates moneys from the General Fund for the fiscal years 2021–22, 2022–23, and 2023–24 in specified amounts for these purposes, and specifies how those funds are to be allocated to counties based on specified criteria. Existing law provides for an appropriation for the 2024–25 fiscal year and each year thereafter of $208,800,000, for the same purposes, except the Governor and the Legislature are to work with stakeholders to establish a distribution methodology. Existing law requires the Department of Finance to increase to no more than $250,000 the award amount for any county whose allocation calculated pursuant to the distribution methodology, as specified, totals less than $250,000. Existing law requires the appropriation amount for these counties to be increased by the amount needed to bring each county's allocation to $250,000. Existing law requires, commencing with the 2024–25 fiscal year, the appropriation allocations to be adjusted annually by a rate commensurate with any applicable growth in the Juvenile Justice Growth Special Account in the prior fiscal year, and this amount is additive to the next year's base allocation. Existing law requires the Department of Finance to, annually by July 1, allocate the amount calculated from the General Fund and to provide a schedule for the allocation of funds among counties to the Controller, who must then allocate the funds consistent with the schedule provided by the Department of Finance by no later than August 1 each year. This bill would make an appropriation for the 2024–25 fiscal year, and extend the appropriation of moneys in the amount of $208,800,000, with a specified distribution methodology. The bill would provide for an appropriation for the 2025–26 fiscal year and each year thereafter of $208,800,000, for the same purposes, and would require the Governor and the Legislature to work with stakeholders to establish a distribution methodology. The bill would similarly extend the requirement for the Department of Finance to adjust the award amount of any county whose calculated allocation is less than $250,000, and for the rate adjustment based commensurate with any applicable growth in the Juvenile Justice Growth Special Account. The bill would require any applicable growth amounts to be allocated based on a schedule provided by the Department of Finance, as described, to the Controller consistent with the timelines for other 2011 Public Safety Realignment growth allocations. The bill would also revise the annual deadline for the Department of Finance to allocate the amount calculated from the General Fund and to provide a schedule to the Controller from July 1 to July 31. The bill would revise the deadline for the Controller to allocate the funds consistent with the schedule provided by the Department of Finance from August 1 to August 31. (5) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above. (6) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as a bill providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill.