Child welfare services: prevention services: Indian tribes.

Assembly Member Rogers, joined by a bipartisan coalition of legislators, proposes expanding California's framework for agreements between the State Department of Social Services and Indian tribes regarding child welfare services. The legislation modifies existing state law to explicitly include prevention services aimed at keeping Indian children out of foster care, while allowing tribes to enter agreements focused solely on administering prevention programs under the federal Family First Prevention Services Act.

The measure broadens the scope of child welfare funding that Indian tribes can receive through state agreements. Tribes would gain access to administrative funds specifically for legal representation of tribal agencies, parents, guardians, and children's advocates in cases under tribal jurisdiction. The bill also establishes a three-year allocation to help tribes cover startup costs when developing comprehensive child welfare programs, with possible extensions available upon demonstrating need.

Under the legislation's provisions, the state continues to bear all nonfederal costs associated with these agreements, except when jurisdiction over a child transfers to a county. Participating tribes must meet established service delivery standards and comply with fiscal reporting requirements for child welfare and foster care services. The measure maintains existing liability protections, specifying that neither counties nor the state assume responsibility for actions of tribal officers, agents, or employees operating under these agreements.