Laws & Policy

We implement policy advocacy at the federal, state, and local levels. Our work includes policy development, lobbying, coalition building, and community organizing.

Browse Laws & Policy

Focus areas

Prescriber Oversight Legislation (2016)

SB 1174 (McGuire)

Enables investigations of physicians who frequently prescribe over the recognized safety parameters for children.
Enacted

Decriminalization of Child Sex Trafficking Victims (2016)

SB 1322 (Mitchell)

With the passage of this law, California declared There's No Such Thing as a Child Prostitute.
Enacted

Training and Data Sharing for Public Agencies (2015)

SB 238 (Mitchell)

Creating oversight to ensure the appropriate prescription of psychotropic medications to youth in foster care.
Enacted

Foster Youth Services (2015)

AB 854 (Weber)

Expands Foster Youth Services to more youth in care.
Enacted

Monitoring Group Homes for Excessive Use of Psychotropic Medication (2015)

SB 484 (Beall)

Inadequate oversight in group homes encourages over-reliance on drugs to control traumatized children in foster care. This legislation establishes appropriate treatment protocols and oversight.
Enacted

Oversight and Monitoring for Foster Children Prescribed Psychotropic Medications (2015)

SB 319 (Beall)

The legislation strengthens the role of public health nurses giving explicit responsibility for the oversight and monitoring of the administration of psychotropic drugs to foster children.
Enacted

Implementation of the Federal Preventing Child Sex Trafficking Act (2015)

HR 4980/SB 794

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
Enacted

Implementation of California’s CSEC Program (2014)

SB 855

Launched in 2015, the groundbreaking Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC) Program is administered by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS). Counties that elect to participate in the CSEC Program are required to develop an interagency protocol that utilizes a
Enacted

Youth Offender Parole (2013)

SB 260 and SB 261 (Hancock)

Working to ban life without parole sentences for youth and create meaningful opportunities for release to those that have.
Enacted