(a) The County of Alameda, contingent upon local funding, may establish a project consistent with this chapter to develop a comprehensive, replicative, multidisciplinary model to address the needs and effective treatment of commercially sexually exploited minors who have been arrested or detained by local law enforcement for a violation of subdivision (a) or (b) of Section 647 or subdivision (a) of former § 653.22 of the Penal Code, or who have been adjudged a dependent of the juvenile court pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 300.

(b) The District Attorney of the County of Alameda, in collaboration with the county child welfare agency, county probation, sheriff, and community-based agencies, may develop, as a component of the program described in this chapter, protocols for identifying and assessing minors, upon arrest or detention by law enforcement, who may be victims of commercial sexual exploitation. The protocol shall include the process for how to make a report to the county child welfare agency if there is reason to believe the minor is a person described in Section 300. The protocol shall also include the process for the child welfare agency to investigate the report pursuant to Section 328.

Terms Used In California Welfare and Institutions Code 18259

  • Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
  • County: includes "city and county. See California Welfare and Institutions Code 14
  • Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
  • Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
  • Public defender: Represent defendants who can't afford an attorney in criminal matters.

(c) The District Attorney of the County of Alameda, in collaboration with the county child welfare agency, county probation, sheriff, and community-based agencies that serve commercially sexually exploited minors, may develop, as a component of the program described in this chapter, a diversion program reflecting the best practices to address the needs and requirements of minors who have been determined to be victims of commercial sexual exploitation.

(d) The District Attorney of the County of Alameda, in collaboration with the county and community-based agencies, may form, as a component of the program described in this chapter, a multidisciplinary team including, but not limited to, city police departments, the county sheriff’s department, the public defender‘s office, the probation department, child protection services, and community-based organizations that work with or advocate for commercially sexually exploited minors, to do both of the following:

(1) Develop a training curriculum reflecting the best practices for identifying and assessing minors who may be victims of commercial sexual exploitation.

(2) Offer and provide this training curriculum through multidisciplinary teams to law enforcement, child protective services, and others who are required to respond to arrested or detained minors who may be victims of commercial sexual exploitation.

(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 86, Sec. 9. (SB 357) Effective January 1, 2023.)