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PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 232.2, Code Supplement 1995, is amended 1 2 by adding the following new subsection: 1 3 NEW SUBSECTION. 6A. "Chronic runaway" means a child who 1 4 is reported to law enforcement as a runaway more than once in 1 5 any month or three or more times in a year. 1 6 Sec. 2. Section 232.19, subsection 1, paragraph c, Code 1 7 1995, is amended to read as follows: 1 8 c. By a peace officerfor the purpose of reuniting a child1 9with the child's family or removing the child to a shelter1 10care facility, when the peace officer has reasonable grounds 1 11 to believe the child has run away from the child's parents, 1 12 guardian, or custodian, for the purposes of determining 1 13 whether the child shall be reunited with the child's parents, 1 14 guardian, or custodian, placed in shelter care, or, if a 1 15 chronic runaway, placed in a runaway assessment and counseling 1 16 center under section 232.196. 1 17 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION. 232.195 RUNAWAY TREATMENT PLAN. 1 18 A county may develop a runaway treatment plan to address 1 19 problems with chronic runaway children in the county. The 1 20 county shall submit the plan to the department of human 1 21 services for approval. The plan shall identify the problems 1 22 with chronic runaway children in the county and specific 1 23 solutions to be implemented by the county, including the 1 24 development of a runaway assessment and counseling center and 1 25 may include a request for funding. The department may award 1 26 funds appropriated for this purpose to a county to implement 1 27 the county runaway treatment plan. 1 28 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION. 232.196 RUNAWAY ASSESSMENT AND 1 29 COUNSELING CENTER. 1 30 1. As part of the county runaway treatment plan under 1 31 section 232.195, the county may implement a runaway assessment 1 32 and treatment center. The center, if implemented, shall 1 33 provide services to assess a child who is referred to the 1 34 center for being a chronic runaway and intensive family 1 35 counseling designed to address any problem causing the child 2 1 to run away. 2 2 2. a. If not sent home with the child's parent, guardian, 2 3 or custodian, the child may be placed in a runaway assessment 2 4 and treatment center by the peace officer who takes the child 2 5 into custody under section 232.19 if the child is a chronic 2 6 runaway and the officer believes it to be in the child's best 2 7 interest after consulting with the child's parent, guardian, 2 8 or custodian. A child shall not be placed in a runaway 2 9 assessment and treatment center for more than forty-eight 2 10 hours. 2 11 b. Within twenty-four hours of being placed in the center 2 12 the child shall be assessed by a center counselor to determine 2 13 the reasons why the child is a runaway and whether child in 2 14 need of assistance or family in need of assistance proceedings 2 15 are appropriate. As soon as practicable following the 2 16 assessment, the child and the child's parents, guardian, or 2 17 custodian shall be provided the opportunity for a counseling 2 18 session to identify the underlying causes of the runaway 2 19 behavior and develop a plan to address those causes. 2 20 c. A child shall be released from a runaway assessment and 2 21 treatment center to the child's parents, guardian, or 2 22 custodian not later than forty-eight hours after being placed 2 23 in the center unless the child is placed in shelter care under 2 24 section 232.21 or an order is entered under section 232.78. A 2 25 child whose parents, guardian, or custodian failed to attend 2 26 counseling at the center or who fails to take custody of the 2 27 child at the end of placement in the center may be the subject 2 28 of a child in need of assistance petition or such other order 2 29 as the juvenile court finds to be in the child's best 2 30 interest. 2 31 Sec. 5. Section 710.8, Code 1995, is amended by adding the 2 32 following new subsection: 2 33 NEW SUBSECTION. 4. A person shall not harbor a runaway 2 34 child with the intent of allowing the runaway child to remain 2 35 away from home against the wishes of the child's parent, 3 1 guardian, or custodian. 3 2 Sec. 6. APPROPRIATION. There is appropriated from the 3 3 general fund of the state to the department of human services 3 4 for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1996, and ending June 3 5 30, 1997, the following amount, or so much thereof as is 3 6 necessary, to be used for the purpose designated: 3 7 For assistance to counties which are implementing a county 3 8 runaway treatment plan under section 232.195: 3 9 .................................................. $ 6,000,000 3 10 EXPLANATION 3 11 This bill provides for the development of county plans to 3 12 address problems regarding chronic runaway children and 3 13 provides an appropriation. 3 14 The bill defines chronic runaway as a juvenile who is 3 15 reported to law enforcement as a runaway more than once a 3 16 month or three or more times in a year. The bill authorizes a 3 17 peace officer to take a juvenile into custody to determine 3 18 whether the juvenile should be returned home or placed in 3 19 shelter care or in a runaway assessment and counseling center. 3 20 A county may develop a runaway assessment and counseling 3 21 center as part of a plan to address the problems of runaways 3 22 in the county. A county which develops such a plan may apply 3 23 to the department of human services for funding from a $6 3 24 million appropriation made in the bill for that purpose. 3 25 A runaway assessment and treatment center shall provide 3 26 services to assess and address the problem causing a juvenile 3 27 to run away from home. A juvenile may not be held in a center 3 28 for more than 48 hours. The juvenile and the juvenile's 3 29 parents are to have a short counseling session to address the 3 30 problem causing the running away prior to the juvenile being 3 31 released from the center. Failure to attend counseling may 3 32 lead to the filing of a child in need of assistance petition. 3 33 The bill also provides that a person shall not harbor a 3 34 runaway juvenile with the intent of allowing the runaway to 3 35 remain away from home against the wishes of the juvenile's 4 1 parents. Violation of this provision is an aggravated 4 2 misdemeanor. 4 3 LSB 1917SV 76 4 4 mk/jj/8
Text: SF02438 Text: SF02440 Text: SF02400 - SF02499 Text: SF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
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