PINK Alert., the official text

An act to add Chapter 5.2 (commencing with Section 13100) to Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to emergency services.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

Existing law designates the State Department of Social Services as the single state agency with full power to supervise every phase of the administration of public social services. Under existing law, the department coordinates aid and response programs, including a rapid response program, disaster relief grants, and homeless youth emergency service pilot projects.
Existing law authorizes a law enforcement agency to request the Department of the California Highway Patrol to activate a Silver Alert, as defined, if the agency receives a report of a missing person who is 65 years of age or older, developmentally disabled, or cognitively impaired, and certain conditions are met, including that all local resources have been utilized and the disappearance is unexplained or suspicious. Upon concurrence by the Department of the California Highway Patrol that the precedent conditions have been met, existing law requires the patrol to issue the alert, which may take the form of a be-on-the-lookout alert, an Emergency Digital Information Service message, or an electronic flyer, within a specified geographical area.
This bill would require the department, in collaboration with the Department of Housing and Community Development, to create a Pink Alert, defined as a registration-based notification system designed to issue and coordinate alerts with respect to a person who is pregnant and seeks shelter or emergency prenatal services. This bill would authorize an individual helping a pregnant person to text a specified number to alert necessary emergency services the location of the pregnant person in need. The bill would authorize an individual to specify whether the pregnant person is in need of housing or services and would encourage local emergency services to assist the pregnant person by taking them to the nearest hospital or shelter.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.
Chapter 5.2 (commencing with Section 13100) is added to Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:
5.2.
Pink Alert13100.
(a) The State Department of Social Services, in collaboration with the Department of Housing and Community Development, shall create a Pink Alert. If a person is reported to be pregnant and needs emergency prenatal services or housing, then the individual assisting may text a specified number to alert all necessary emergency services the location of the pregnant person.
(1) The individual sending the text can respond with “housing” if the pregnant person only seeks housing.
(2) The individual sending the text can respond with “prenatal” if the pregnant person only seeks emergency prenatal services.
(b) Radio, television, and cable and satellite systems are encouraged to, but not required to, cooperate with disseminating the information contained in a Pink Alert.
(c) Upon activation of a Pink Alert, local emergency services are encouraged to assist the pregnant person by taking them to the nearest hospital or shelter.
(d) The Pink Alert shall be able to do the following:
(1) Notify all emergency services, doulas, and obstetrics and gynecology doctors and nurses for prenatal care.
(2) Notify all nonprofit housing shelters, temporary housing, or overnight shelters that are capable of housing pregnant persons.
(e) For purposes of this chapter, “Pink Alert” means a registration-based notification system designed to issue and coordinate alerts with respect to a person who is pregnant and seeks shelter or emergency prenatal services. Only organizations that are a part of emergency services will be automatically enrolled into the program.