AB 2340: Nonminor dependents: victims of sexual trafficking.

Existing law establishes the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, which is permitted to adjudge certain children to be a ward or a dependent of the court under certain circumstances, and authorizes the juvenile court to retain jurisdiction over those persons until they attain 21 years of age.

Existing law establishes the Adoption Assistance Program (AAP), which provides payments to eligible families that adopt eligible dependent children or wards and bases the amount of the payments on the needs of the child and the circumstances of the family. Existing law also establishes the Kinship Guardianship Assistance Payment Program (Kin-GAP), which provides aid on behalf of eligible dependent children or wards who are placed in a guardianship within the home of an approved relative. Under existing law, the courts jurisdiction is terminated for a recipient of AAP or Kin-GAP benefits, but the jurisdiction may be restored under specified conditions involving the discontinuance of support from the adoptive parent or guardian. for a nonminor former dependent, as defined, if the nonminors former guardian or adoptive parent died or ceased to provide ongoing support to the nonminor after the nonminor turned 18 years of age but before the nonminor turned 21 years of age. Under existing law, a county is required to pay the nonfederal share of the cost of extending aid to a nonminor former dependent who is under the jurisdiction of the county.

This bill would provide that the court has allow the court to assume dependency jurisdiction over a person who is 18 years of age or older and is under 21 years of age, who was a recipient of AAP or Kin-GAP benefits before the person attained 16 years of age, and where the adoption or guardianship was vacated or terminated after the person attained 18 years of age, and he or she and who was a victim of human sexual trafficking before the his or her adoption or guardianship was vacated or terminated, as specified. To the extent that the bill would expand the application of county administered services relating to nonminor dependents by establishing jurisdiction over that person, the 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.