Sacramento Standard

Senator Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) has announced that her bipartisan legislation, Senate Bill 1043, known as the Accountability in Children’s Treatment (ACT) measure, has passed off the Assembly Floor. Celebrity advocate Paris Hilton and her nonprofit organization 11:11 Media Impact sponsor the measure.

California’s short-term residential therapeutic programs (STRTPs) serve children and young adults requiring an increased level of care. These treatment facilities can use restraints and seclusion rooms if they believe a patient is a danger to themselves or others.

These facilities must report all restraint and seclusion room use to the California Department of Social Services (CDSS). The department is then required to make this information available online to the public. However, this data has yet to be posted online. SB 1043 will mandate CDSS to publicly post this critical data, including each incident report. The Accountability in Children’s Treatment Act aims to address the department's failure to publish this data for public access.

“I am proud that my bill, The Accountability in Children’s Treatment Act, just passed off the Assembly floor and is heading to the Senate for a final vote," said Senator Grove. "It has been an incredible honor to work side by side with advocate Paris Hilton to protect California’s most vulnerable youth in treatment programs."

"My bill will ensure children who are living in California’s short-term residential therapeutic programs (STRTPs) receive the highest level of transparency in their care. With these facilities already having the ability to physically restrain children or put them in a seclusion room, my measure will only further promote California’s commitment to accountability in our children’s care.”

SB 1043 will move to the Senate Floor for a final vote by the end of this week.