SB 716: Juveniles: delinquency: postsecondary academic and career technical education.

Existing law, the Arnold-Kennick Juvenile Court Law, states its purpose is to provide for the protection and safety of the public and each minor under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, and require minors under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court to receive care, treatment, and guidance consistent with their best interests. Existing law provides for the placement of juveniles under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court into a county juvenile hall, ranch, camp, or forestry camp. Existing law requires county boards of education to provide for the administration and operation of public schools in juvenile halls, juvenile ranches, and juvenile camps, among others, known as juvenile court schools.

This bill would require a county probation department to ensure that juveniles with a high school diploma or California high school equivalency certificate who are detained in, or committed to, a juvenile hall, ranch, camp, or forestry camp have access to, and can choose to participate in, public postsecondary academic and career technical courses and programs offered online, and for which they are eligible based on eligibility criteria and course schedules of the public postsecondary education campus providing the course or program. By imposing new duties on county officials, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The bill would authorize county probation departments, in coordination with county offices of education, to use juvenile court school classrooms and computers, in accordance with specified agreements, for the purpose of implementing the above provision. The bill would also encourage county probation departments to develop other educational partnerships with local public postsecondary campuses, as is feasible.

Existing law, the Youth Authority Act, governs the commitment of juvenile offenders to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Division of Juvenile Facilities. Existing law prescribes the purpose of the Division of Juvenile Programs to provide comprehensive education, training, treatment, and rehabilitative services to youthful offenders under the jurisdiction of the department, that are designed to, among other things, produce youth who become law-abiding and productive members of society.

This bill would require the Division of Juvenile Facilities, to the extent feasible using available resources, to ensure that youth with a high school diploma or California high school equivalency certificate who are detained in, or committed to, a Division of Juvenile Facilities facility have access to, and can choose to participate in, public postsecondary academic and career technical courses and programs offered online, and for which they are eligible based on eligibility criteria and course schedules of the public postsecondary education campus providing the course or program. The bill would also encourage the division to develop other educational partnerships with local public postsecondary campuses, as is feasible.

Existing law, commencing July 1, 2020, abolishes the Division of Juvenile Justice and establishes the Department of Youth and Community Restoration. Existing law provides that any reference to the Division of Juvenile Facilities refers to the Department of Youth and Community Restoration.

This bill would, commencing July 1, 2020, delete obsolete references to the Division of Juvenile Facilities and would instead refer to the Department of Youth and Community Restoration.

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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.