(a) Notwithstanding any other law, immediately prior to closure of the Division of Juvenile Justice, a person 18 years of age or older who is subject to the custody, control, and discipline of the division and who has been sentenced to state prison pursuant to § 1170 of the Penal Code for a felony committed while the person was in the custody of the division may voluntarily remain in an institution under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to complete the remaining juvenile court commitment, subject to the provisions of this section, or may be returned to the county of commitment.

(b) Notwithstanding any other law, immediately prior to closure of the division, a person 18 years of age or older in the custody of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation pursuant to Section 1732.8 may voluntarily remain in an institution under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to complete the person’s juvenile court commitment, subject to the provisions of this section.

(c) As soon as possible, the director of the division shall notify the juvenile court of commitment, juvenile counsel of record, and the county probation agency of a person in the custody of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation pursuant to Section 1732.8 of this code or § 1170 of the Penal Code for a felony committed while in the custody of the division, that the person has remaining juvenile court commitment time that can be voluntarily served at an institution under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, subject to the provisions of the section. The division shall also notify the juvenile court of commitment of the youth’s most recent projected board hearing date for court consideration.

(d) Prior to deciding whether to serve the remaining commitment time in the state prison or be returned to the county of commitment, a person in the custody of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation pursuant to Section 1732.8 who is scheduled to be returned to the county shall meet personally with a probation officer from the county of commitment and be advised by juvenile counsel of record. The probation officer shall explain, using language clearly understandable to the person, all of the following matters:

(1) What will be expected from the person when the person returns to county jurisdiction, in terms of cooperative daily living conduct and participation in applicable counseling, academic, vocational, work experience, or specialized programming.

(2) The conditions of probation applicable to the person, if set by the court, and how those conditions will be monitored and enforced.

(3) The person’s right, under this section, to voluntarily and irrevocably consent to continue to be housed in an institution under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation instead of being returned to county custody.

(e) A person shall not be retained at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation pursuant to this section until and unless the person voluntarily, intelligently, and knowingly executes a written consent to the placement, which shall be irrevocable. This consent shall be irrevocable unless the youth can demonstrate that they are in danger of suffering great bodily harm. A youth returned to the county under this subdivision shall not be subsequently returned to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

(f) Notwithstanding any other law, a person who has been returned to the county after serving a sentence imposed pursuant to § 1170 of the Penal Code for a felony committed while the person was in the custody of the division, may be transferred to the custody of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation if the person consents to the transfer after having been provided with the explanations described in subdivision (d), and after consulting with the juvenile counsel of record.

(g) If a person consents to being housed in an institution under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation pursuant to this section, the person shall be subject to the general rules and regulations of the department. The juvenile court of commitment shall continue to have jurisdiction over the juvenile case while the individual is in an institution under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The county probation department shall, with the assistance of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, provide semiannual status reports to the court that summarize the person’s progress in the department’s care. However, the court shall not order or recommend any treatment, education, or other programming that is unavailable in the institution where the person is housed, and shall not deny release to a person housed in the institution based solely on the person’s failure to participate in programs that were unavailable to the person.

(h) A person housed in an institution under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation pursuant to this section who has not attained a high school diploma or its equivalent shall participate in educational or vocational programs, to the extent the appropriate programs are available.

(i) Upon notification by the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation that the person has completed the juvenile court commitment and should no longer be housed in an institution under its jurisdiction, the court of commitment shall immediately send for, take, and receive the person back into the county’s jurisdiction.

(j) The county of commitment shall not be charged by the state for a person in custody of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation pursuant to this section while serving the person’s juvenile court commitment.

(k) This section shall only apply to a person described in subdivision (a) or (b) who is in the custody of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation when the division closes. Additional persons shall not be subject to this section.

(l) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2031, and as of that date is repealed.

(Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 131, Sec. 223. (AB 1754) Effective January 1, 2024. Repealed as of January 1, 2031, by its own provisions.)