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PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 232.2, Code 1997, is amended by adding 1 2 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 any year. 1 6 Sec. 2. Section 232.19, subsection 1, paragraph c, Code 1 7 1997, 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 the 1 15 child is a chronic runaway and the county has an approved 1 16 county runaway treatment, placed in a runaway assessment and 1 17 counseling center under section 232.196. 1 18 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION. 232.195 RUNAWAY TREATMENT PLAN. 1 19 A county may develop a runaway treatment plan to address 1 20 problems with chronic runaway children in the county. The 1 21 county shall submit the plan to the department of human 1 22 services for approval. The plan shall identify the problems 1 23 with chronic runaway children in the county and specific 1 24 solutions to be implemented by the county, including the 1 25 development of a runaway assessment and counseling center, and 1 26 may include a request for funding. The department may award 1 27 funds appropriated for this purpose to a county to implement 1 28 an approved county runaway treatment plan. 1 29 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION. 232.196 RUNAWAY ASSESSMENT AND 1 30 COUNSELING CENTER. 1 31 1. As part of a county runaway treatment plan under 1 32 section 232.195, a county may establish a runaway assessment 1 33 and treatment center. The center, if established, shall 1 34 provide services to assess a child who is referred to the 1 35 center for being a chronic runaway and intensive family 2 1 counseling services designed to address any problem causing 2 2 the child to run away. 2 3 2. a. If not sent home with the child's parent, guardian, 2 4 or custodian, a chronic runaway may be placed in a runaway 2 5 assessment and treatment center by the peace officer who takes 2 6 the child into custody under section 232.19, if the officer 2 7 believes it to be in the child's best interest after 2 8 consulting with the child's parent, guardian, or custodian. A 2 9 chronic runaway shall not be placed in a runaway assessment 2 10 and treatment center for more than forty-eight 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 following: 2 14 (1) The reasons why the child is a runaway. 2 15 (2) Whether the initiation or continuation of child in 2 16 need of assistance or family in need of assistance proceedings 2 17 is appropriate. 2 18 c. As soon as practicable following the assessment, the 2 19 child and the child's parents, guardian, or custodian shall be 2 20 provided the opportunity for a counseling session to identify 2 21 the underlying causes of the runaway behavior and develop a 2 22 plan to address those causes. 2 23 d. A child shall be released from a runaway assessment and 2 24 treatment center to the child's parents, guardian, or 2 25 custodian not later than forty-eight hours after being placed 2 26 in the center unless the child is placed in shelter care under 2 27 section 232.21 or an order is entered under section 232.78. A 2 28 child whose parents, guardian, or custodian failed to attend 2 29 counseling at the center or who fails to take custody of the 2 30 child at the end of placement in the center may be the subject 2 31 of a child in need of assistance petition or such other order 2 32 as the juvenile court finds to be in the child's best 2 33 interest. 2 34 Sec. 5. APPROPRIATION. There is appropriated from the 2 35 general fund of the state to the department of human services 3 1 for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1997, and ending June 3 2 30, 1998, the following amount, or so much thereof as is 3 3 necessary, to be used for the purpose designated: 3 4 For assistance to counties which are implementing a county 3 5 runaway treatment plan under section 232.195: 3 6 .................................................. $ 6,000,000 3 7 EXPLANATION 3 8 This bill provides for the development of county plans to 3 9 address problems regarding chronic runaway children and 3 10 provides an appropriation. 3 11 The bill defines chronic runaway as a juvenile who is 3 12 reported to law enforcement as a runaway more than once in any 3 13 month or three or more times in any year which consists of 12 3 14 consecutive months per Code section 4.1, subsection 40. The 3 15 bill authorizes a peace officer to take a juvenile into 3 16 custody to determine whether the juvenile should be returned 3 17 home or placed in shelter care or in a runaway assessment and 3 18 counseling center. A county may develop a runaway assessment 3 19 and counseling center as part of a plan to address the 3 20 problems of runaways in the county. A county which develops 3 21 such a plan may apply to the department of human services for 3 22 funding from a $6 million appropriation made in the bill for 3 23 that purpose. 3 24 A runaway assessment and treatment center shall provide 3 25 services to assess and address the problem causing a juvenile 3 26 to run away from home. A juvenile may not be held in a center 3 27 for more than 48 hours. The juvenile and the juvenile's 3 28 parents are to have a short counseling session to address the 3 29 problem causing the running away prior to the juvenile being 3 30 released from the center. Failure to attend counseling may 3 31 lead to the filing of a child in need of assistance petition. 3 32 LSB 1127XS 77 3 33 lh/sc/14
Text: SF00032 Text: SF00034 Text: SF00000 - SF00099 Text: SF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
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