AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 23, 2025

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

98

Introduced by Assembly Member Schiavo

February 11, 2025

An act to add Section 16522.05 to the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to foster youth.

Vote: majority   Appropriation: no   Fiscal committee: yes   Local program: yes

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

Existing law, the California Community Care Facilities Act, requires the State Department of Social Services to license and regulate transitional housing placement providers as community care facilities. Existing law defines a “transitional housing placement provider” to mean an organization licensed by the department to provide transitional housing to foster children who are at least 16 years of age. A violation of the act is a misdemeanor.

Existing law defines “Transitional Housing Program-Plus” to mean a provider certified by the applicable county to provide transitional housing services to former foster youth who have exited the foster care system on or after their 18th birthday. Existing law exempts Transitional Housing Program-Plus providers from licensure under the California Community Care Facilities Act if they are certified and have obtained a local fire clearance.

This bill would require contracts a contract for a transitional housing placement provider or a Transitional Housing Program-Plus provider to have an initial term of 10 3 years. The bill would authorize a contract to be renewed for 2 additional 1-year terms. If a contract has been renewed for 2 additional 1-year terms, the bill would authorize a contract to be renewed for additional 10-year terms. The bill would authorize the county to terminate a contract or a portion of the contracted services prior to the end of the contract term by providing at least 90 days’ notice to the contractor. The bill would authorize the county and contractor to agree to enter into an extension of the contract, either at the time of the initial contract or at any time thereafter. By imposing new duties on counties, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

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

SECTION 1.

Section 16522.05 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:

16522.05.

(a) Contracts (1) A contract for a transitional housing placement provider, as defined in subdivision (r) of Section 11400, or a Transitional Housing Program-Plus provider, as defined in subdivision (s) of Section 11400, shall have an initial term of 10 three years.

(b) The county shall have the right to may terminate a contract or a portion of the contracted services prior to the end of the contract term by providing at least 90 days’ notice to the contractor.

SEC. 2.

To the extent that this act has an overall effect of increasing the costs already borne by a local agency for programs or levels of service mandated by the 2011 Realignment Legislation within the meaning of Section 36 of Article XIII of the California Constitution, it shall apply to local agencies only to the extent that the state provides annual funding for the cost increase. Any new program or higher level of service provided by a local agency pursuant to this act above the level for which funding has been provided shall not require a subvention of funds by the state or otherwise be subject to Section 6 of Article XIIIB of the California Constitution.