Fiscal Summary

Other Fiscal Impact – Passage of the proposed legislation may result in a mandatory increase in local expenditures associated with mental health evaluations for juveniles. The extent and timing of any such increase cannot be determined with reasonably certainty.

Bill Summary

Present law provides that, if a juvenile is found to be within a court's jurisdiction, for conduct that, if committed by an adult, would be a criminal violation involving cruelty to animals or a criminal violation involving arson, then the court may order that the juvenile be evaluated to determine the need for psychiatric or psychological treatment. Present law further provides that, if the court determines that psychiatric or psychological treatment is appropriate for that juvenile, then the court may order that treatment.

This bill adds to the present law that, if a child is adjudicated delinquent for conduct involving the intentional torturing, mutilating, maiming, burning, starving to death, crushing, disfiguring, drowning, suffocating, or impaling of a domesticated dog or cat, then the court must order that the child receive a psychiatric or psychological evaluation and any recommended counseling and treatment. The court must further order that the cost of such required evaluation, counseling, and treatment be paid in accordance with present law procedures for the payment of costs of children, which generally required payment by the child's parents, legal custodians, or guardians if financially able to pay, or by the applicable city or county in other circumstances.

This bill also provides that, if the court finds a parent or guardian to be in contempt of court for failure to comply with a court order issued under these new provisions, then the court may punish the parent or guardian for contempt of court pursuant to current law, which authorizes the court to impose fines or imprisonment.