Bill > AB2451

This bill expands protections and services for victims of human trafficking, including labor trafficking, by amending various sections of the Welfare and Institutions Code. It allows children who are victims of any form of human trafficking, not just sex trafficking, to be declared dependents of the juvenile court if their parents or guardians fail to protect them. The bill also modifies the process for social workers taking temporary custody of a child, generally prohibiting it if the parent or guardian did not participate in the trafficking. Furthermore, it renames the "Commercially Sexually Exploited Children Program" to the "Human Trafficked Children Program" and broadens its scope to encompass all victims of human trafficking, including those of labor trafficking, and updates reporting requirements for the State Department of Social Services regarding data collection on these children. The bill also mandates that the Child Welfare Services/Case Management System (CWS/CMS) be capable of collecting data on all human trafficking victims by June 1, 2027, and requires updated reporting to the Legislature on strategies and challenges related to serving child victims of labor trafficking by April 1, 2028.

Health and Social Services

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2451