Governor Signs Senate Bill 907

SACRAMENTO – California State Senator Bob Archuleta (D-Pico Rivera) released the following statement:

This week, Governor Newsom has signed into law Senator Archuleta’s Senate Bill 907, expanding upon California’s proud history of protecting children and providing support for military families.

SB 907 now requires local Child Welfare Services offices, in cases of alleged child abuse or neglect, to determine if the parent or guardian is an active duty military member. This would help the children of military families by improving coordination between the on-base Family Advocacy Program and the county Child Welfare Services offices. The bill also clarifies that Child Welfare Service offices have the existing authority to develop Memorandums of Understanding with military installations within their jurisdiction regarding their roles and responsibilities in investigating allegations against active-duty service members assigned to units on those installations.

“States have the responsibility and the authority to address the welfare of all children residing in their state. The Department of Defense has the same obligation to address child abuse in military families. By giving our counties and our military bases every tool possible, we ensure that all children in California are safe and receive whatever prevention and rehabilitative services they need,” said Senator Archuleta.
 
Senator Archuleta worked closely with the Department of Defense to ensure that all military children can benefit from enhanced communication between county and
on-base services. He is proud to have helped California continue its fight for a better life for all children.