California Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council., the official text

An act to add Division 11 (commencing with Section 20000) to the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to children.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

Existing law establishes the California Health and Human Services Agency, headed by the Secretary of California Health and Human Services. Existing law further establishes, within the agency, a number of departments and other entities, including the State Department of Social Services. Under existing law, these departments oversee the provision of various services to children and a number of programs serving children including, among others, the provision of family preservation services.
This bill would establish, within the California Health and Human Services Agency, the California Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council. The bill would require the State Department of Social Services to staff and administer the council. The bill would require the council to be cochaired by the Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency and the Director of Social Services, or their designees, and would specify the membership of the council, which would include 19 members, as specified. The bill would establish the duties of the council, including, among other things, the duty to determine metrics to measure whether a policy proposal, budget provisions, or pending legislation increases or decreases child poverty. The bill would also require the council to submit various reports to the Legislature, including, among others, an initial report by July 1, 2027.

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

SECTION 1.
(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(1) California is home to millions of children facing economic hardship, health disparities, educational inequities, and gaps in access to essential services.
(2) Child poverty imposes long-term social and economic costs on families, communities, and the state as a whole.
(3) The state lacks a unified structure dedicated to reducing child poverty, coordinating child-serving programs, and reviewing the statewide impacts of budgetary and legislative decisions on children.
(4) The California Health Benefits Review Program provides a proven framework for rapid and independent legislative analysis. A similar framework is needed to analyze the impacts of legislation on children.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this act to reduce child poverty in California by 50 percent within 10 years and to ensure that all major legislation affecting children is reviewed for evidence-based impacts.

SEC. 2.
Division 11 (commencing with Section 20000) is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:
11.
The California Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council20000.
(a) The California Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council is hereby established within the California Health and Human Services Agency.
(b) The State Department of Social Services shall provide staff for and administer the council.
(c) The council shall convene no later than April 1, 2027.

20001.
(a) The council shall be cochaired by both of the following:
(1) The Secretary of California Health and Human Services or their designee.
(2) The Director of Social Services or their designee.
(b) The council shall be made up of 19 members, as follows:
(1) The Governor shall appoint 15 members to the council, including all of the following:
(A) One representative with authority to make executive decisions on behalf of their agency or organization from each of the following:
(i) The State Department of Social Services.
(ii) The State Department of Health Care Services.
(iii) The State Department of Education.
(iv) The Department of Finance.
(v) The State Board of Education.
(vi) The California Interagency Council on Homelessness.
(vii) The California Cradle-to-Career Data System.
(viii) First 5 Association of California.
(ix) A county or regional human services agency.
(x) A statewide nonprofit focused on ending child poverty.
(xi) A California Promise Neighborhood or similar place-based initiative.
(xii) An organization representing immigrant families.
(B) Two individuals with lived experience of child or family poverty.
(C) One youth representative who is 16 to 25 years of age, inclusive.
(2) The Speaker of the Assembly shall appoint two members to the council.
(3) The President pro Tempore of the Senate shall appoint two members to the council.
(c) Members of the council shall serve without compensation except for reimbursement of reasonable travel expenses.
(d) (1) A vacancy occurs upon the resignation, death, removal, or failure of a member to attend three consecutive meetings without good cause. An appointing authority may remove a member for misconduct, neglect of duty, chronic nonattendance, change of employment, conflict of interest, or conduct inconsistent with the mission of the council. A vacancy shall be filled by the original appointing authority within 60 days.
(2) A vacant seat shall not count toward a quorum.

20003.
The council shall do all of the following:
(a) Determine where there is overlap of existing child poverty reduction or child welfare commissions and reports, and develop and publish a comprehensive plan for reducing redundancy. The plan shall include annual benchmarks to reduce statewide child poverty by 50 percent within 10 years.
(b) (1) (A) Determine metrics to measure whether a policy proposal, budget provisions, or pending legislation increases or decreases child poverty.
(B) Determine metrics to measure whether a policy proposal, budget provisions, or pending legislation increases or decreases administrative burdens for families with children.
(2) For purposes of this subdivision, policy proposals include, but are not limited to, expansion of refundable tax credits, guaranteed income or cash plus supports, affordable and subsidized childcare, housing and homelessness prevention, nutrition programs, behavioral health supports, workforce pathways, and living wage pathways.
(c) Identify state programs or administrative processes that can be modified to reduce barriers to access and improve equity for children and families.
(d) Meet at least quarterly.
(e) (1) Submit all of the following reports to the Legislature:
(A) An initial report by July 1, 2027.
(B) Comprehensive recommendations by January 1, 2028.
(C) A progress report every two years, beginning July 1, 2029.
(2) A report to be submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.