AB 1646

Existing law establishes the Youth Bill of Rights for all youth confined in a juvenile facility, which includes the right to maintain frequent and continuing contact with parents, guardians, siblings, children, and extended family members, through in-person visits, among others. Existing law regulates the provision of these rights. This bill, the Hugs Act, would require that all youth confined in a juvenile facility have the right to engage in certain types of nonsexual physical contact during in-person visits, as provided. The bill would require that limitations to this physical contact only be implemented when a significant safety and security concern is present, as described, and would require that all significant safety and security concerns and subsequent contact limitations be documented, as described. The bill would require all juvenile facilities to establish regulations and procedures consistent with these provisions. To the extent that this bill would impose a higher level of service on local facilities, it would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.