SACRAMENTO—Youth services and resources are the subject of three bills introduced by Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D–San Bernardino). His legislation aims to address foster youth needs, the undercounting of indigenous students, and proactive strategies to prevent opioid overdoses at schools.
“The measures introduced today highlight efforts to prevent opioid overdoses on school campuses, aid in ensuring foster youth needs are met, and improving the identification and counting of Native American students in schools. Undercounting results in fewer resources for children and the schools and programs that serve them,” said Ramos.
AB 1579, proposes to address California foster youth’s complex needs by expanding allowable programs under the Children’s Crisis Continuum Pilot Program. Currently, only Children's Crisis Residential Programs (CCRP) are allowed, but not similar existing services. AB 1579 would expand allowable residential programs under the Ramos pilot to include Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTFs), Crisis Stabilization Unit/Psychiatric Health Facility (CSU/PHF) combinations, or other CDSS-approved residential crisis models. The change would preserve safety and oversight standards while giving counties flexibility to build sustainable, accessible crisis care options for youth statewide Just Advocates and the California Alliance of Child and Family Services are the measure’s sponsors.
AB 1581 addresses the severe undercount of indigenous students in California schools. The American Institutes for Research reports that up to 70% of indigenous students are not represented in data reporting or analysis in the United States. Inaccurate counts can lead to a range of problematic issues such as inaccurate and inadequate allocation of resources designed to provide needed interventions and assistance for Native American students and development of culturally responsive programs. Ramos’s proposal would require the Department of Education to record the tribal identification of each new student to a district to ensure California gathers accurate data about tribal students.
AB 1586, the School Safety and Opioid Overdose Prevention Act, would require school resource officers to carry naloxone, an opioid antagonist to provide emergency treatment to those suffering from an opioid overdose, and require resource officers to complete training that includes learning to identify an overdose. The measure takes a proactive approach to ensure California school resource officers are equipped with the necessary tools and training to prevent overdoses on K-12 school campuses. AB 1586 is sponsored by the California Association of Alcohol and Drug Program Executives.
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Assemblymember James C. Ramos proudly represents the 45th Assembly district that includes the Cities of Fontana, Highland, Mentone, Redlands, Rialto and San Bernardino. He is the first and only California Native American serving in the state’s legislature. Ramos chairs the Assembly Budget Subcommittee #6 on Public Safety.
