The bill enhances the responsibilities of the Child Advocacy Center-Multidisciplinary Team Advisory Board and establishes a new "Problematic Sexual Behavior Program" aimed at addressing youth exhibiting problematic sexual behaviors. It includes provisions for an annual progress review program for child advocacy centers and multidisciplinary teams to ensure compliance with accreditation standards set by the National Children's Alliance. The bill allocates $8.5 million for these initiatives, emphasizing a coordinated response to child abuse and neglect through collaboration among law enforcement, child protective services, and mental health professionals.

Key amendments include the creation of a Problematic Sexual Behavior Subcommittee within the advisory board to oversee the statewide response to reports of problematic sexual behavior and evaluate the effectiveness of the new program. The bill modifies the advisory board's composition, increasing its membership from 10 to 13 and specifying qualifications for public members to include expertise in child welfare and problematic sexual behaviors. Additionally, it replaces the previous certification requirement with an annual progress review program, ensuring best practices are adopted by child advocacy centers and multidisciplinary teams. The bill also introduces the "Child Treatment Assistance Fund" to cover medical and mental health services for affected youth and is set to take effect three months after enactment.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 9:6-8.107, 9:6-8.108, 9:6-8.109, 9:6-8.110, 9:6-8.111, 9:6-8.113