Laws & Policy

All children in California deserve access to mental health services to live full and thriving lives, and care for their emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing. Under current statute, youth ages 12 and older who receive health care through Medi-Cal are blocked from accessing mental health

Creating meaningful pathways to justice for survivors of trauma, domestic violence, sexual violence, and human trafficking who are funneled into our criminal legal system is important for their healing and care, and to stop the further criminalization of victims. Often survivors of survivors of

Youth deserve care and support, not surveillance and confinement. Our responses to young people should emphasize positive youth development approaches over punitive measures and incarceration. In 2018 and 2019, California made important investments in community-based services and programs that

The Children's Safe Welcome Act prioritizes family unity, minimizes the time children spend in immigration custody, and increases the protections for children throughout the process. NCYL provided expert guidance in developing this landmark legislation.

This bill ends the early criminalization of children by establishing a minimum age for juvenile court prosecution at age 12

Every year, justice-involved young people in Michigan and their families are thrown into significant debt due to excessive court fines and fees levied upon them as they move through the juvenile justice system. These costs do not improve public safety and may actually harm the child's future by

California's 2022 Youth Bill of Rights legislation would ensure that youth who are incarcerated know their rights and are informed of the newly-established state ombudsperson office. With the closure of California's state-run prisons, there is an urgent need to reassert these rights for youth and

AB 503 improves outcomes for youth by minimizing the time they spend on probation, and tailoring probation conditions to meet their needs.

SB 532 builds bridges to a high school diploma and post-secondary educational success for highly mobile students.