In 2015, California passed Senate Bill (SB) 794 which enacted key provisions of the federal Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act of 2014 (HR 4980). Importantly, SB 794 requires counties develop two sets of protocols for CSEC and for youth who runaway or go missing from foster care. To comply with the CSEC provisions, county child welfare and probation departments must have implemented CSEC policies and procedures by September 29, 2016. Under these policies and procedures, social workers and probation officers must:

• Identify children who are receiving child welfare services who are, or are at risk of becoming, victims of commercial sexual exploitation;
• Document these children in the Child Welfare Services/Case Management System (CWS/ CMS) and any other agency record as determined by the county;
• Determine appropriate services for these children; and
• Receive relevant training in the identification, documentation, and determination of appropriate services for these children.

In addition to these policies and procedures, counties also must comply with new reporting requirements for CSEC and missing children. The California Child Welfare Council's CSEC Action Team, with the support and leadership of NCYL, has produced a number of resources to help counties implement SB 794 and meet other related requirements including the CSEC Program (SB 855).