Every week at All Saints Church we put our faith into action. This week we are urging Governor Gavin Newsom to sign into law AB 2417 that will expand the Foster Youth Bill of Rights.

Existing law has established a Youth Bill of Rights, which includes the right to live in a safe, healthy, and clean environment conducive to treatment and rehabilitation, to contact attorneys, ombudspersons, and other advocates regarding conditions of confinement or violations of rights, and to receive a quality education. Under existing law, the Youth Bill of Rights applies to youth confined in a facility of the Division of Juvenile Justice in the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

AB 2417 would require the ombudsperson to notify the complainant in writing of the intention to investigate or refer the complaint for investigation and provide written notice of the final outcome of a complaint. The bill would require data published and provided to the Legislature by the ombudsperson to be disaggregated by gender, sexual orientation, race, and ethnicity of the complainants to the extent this information is available.

AB 2417 would make the Youth Bill of Rights applicable to youth confined in any juvenile facility not just the Division of Juvenile Justice. The bill would further require, as part of the Youth Bill of Rights, that youth have access to postsecondary academic and career technical education and programs and access to information regarding parental rights, among other things and require that standardized information explaining these rights be developed.

AB 2417 would additionally prohibit discrimination against youth on the basis of gender expression or immigration status. The bill would make related and conforming changes and update cross-references to the Office of Youth and Community Restoration.

This bill is an important expansion of the Youth Bill of Rights and the postsecondary education requirements will greatly aid foster youth transitioning into adulthood. The Foster Care Project and All Saints Church has supported AB 2417 through the legislature and we now urge the Governor to sign it into law.

Options to Take Action:

1. Sign on to the letters at the Action Table outside the church on Sunday morning.
2. Download a copy of the Action Letter that you can sign and mail.

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