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 Bill Text - SB-452 Child welfare services: prevention legal services.

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 |Add To My Favorites |Track Bill | Version: 06/10/25 - Amended Assembly
 03/27/25 - Amended Senate
 02/18/25 - Introduced

 SB-452 Child welfare services: prevention legal services.(2025-2026)

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 Date Published: 06/10/2025 09:00 PM

SB452:v97#DOCUMENTBill Start

 Amended
 IN 
 Assembly
 June 10, 2025

 Amended
 IN 
 Senate
 March 27, 2025

 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

 Senate Bill

No. 452

Introduced by Senator Weber Pierson

February 18, 2025

An act to add Chapter 7.5 (commencing with Section 16590) to Part 4 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to child welfare. 

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 452, as amended, Weber Pierson.
 Child welfare services: prevention legal services.

Existing law establishes the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, which may adjudge children to be dependents of the court under certain circumstances, including when the child suffered or there is a substantial risk that the child will suffer serious physical harm, or a parent fails to provide the child with adequate food, clothing, shelter, or medical treatment. Existing law also establishes a system of child welfare services provided to children alleged to be the victims of child abuse, neglect, or exploitation, and defines “child welfare services” for these purposes to mean public social services that are directed toward the accomplishment of various purposes, including protecting and promoting the welfare of all children, and includes, among other services, emergency response services and family maintenance services.

This bill would,
 subject to an appropriation by the Legislature, require the State Department of Social Services to establish and implement the Family Advocacy Pilot Program for 3 years to provide grants to qualified organizations, as defined, to provide (1) prevention legal services designed to prevent the filing of a petition in a juvenile court or stabilize a family who is at risk of receiving child welfare services, or in cases in which a report regarding a family has been made to the county child welfare department or a tribal agency, as specified, (2) direct assistance by an interdisciplinary team for families who are at risk of child welfare services or in cases in which a report regarding a family has been made to the county child welfare department or a tribal agency and (3) legal training or technical assistance to other qualified organizations providing prevention legal services or direct assistance by an interdisciplinary team. The bill would require the department to submit a report to the Legislature evaluating
 the effectiveness of the program, as specified.

Digest Key

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

Bill Text

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

SECTION 1.

 The Legislature finds and declares that for many families who come to the attention of the county child welfare department, the provision of early, high-quality legal representation can help stabilize families and prevent unnecessary family separation and foster care placement.

SEC. 2.

 Chapter 7.5 (commencing with Section 16590) is added to Part 4 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:

 CHAPTER
 7.5. Prevention Legal Services

16590.

 (a) Subject to an appropriation by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or another statute for this purpose, the State Department of Social Services shall establish and implement the Family Advocacy Pilot Program for three years to provide grants, as described in Section 16590.1, to qualified organizations.

(b) On or before July 1, 2026, the department shall, in consultation with lived experience experts, advocates, dependency attorneys, tribes, civil legal-aid legal aid organizations, and community-based
 organizations, develop parameters and an implementation plan to distribute grants pursuant to this chapter.

(c) The department shall may seek federal reimbursement through Title IV-E of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 670 et seq.), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant, and any other applicable federal funding to the maximum extent possible for any prevention legal services provided pursuant to this chapter. Any costs that are reimbursed shall be used to supplement, and not sup