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Senator Susan Rubio R E P S it S E Iv i i 3 E NAoT L DISTRICT 22 SB 331 (Rubio) Piqui's Law: Keeping Children Safe From Family Violence Bill Summary Empirical research shows that in custody cases involving SB 331 will protect children in family court by domestic violence, children are at almost double the risk prioritizing child safety, requiring expertise in for child abuse. testimony, banning reunification programs, ensuring critical judicial training, and establishing reporting Expanding the training requirements for judges and requirements. court-related professionals will ensure informed and appropriate decision-making resulting in better Current Law outcomes for children. Existing state law governs the determination of child custody and visitation in contested proceedings. It also Details of the Bill requires the court, for purposes of deciding custody, to SB 331 will strengthen protections against child abuse determine the best interests of the child based on in child custody and visitation proceedings as follows: certain factors, including the nature and amount of contact with both parents, and consistent with • Prohibits a court to order family reunification specified findings, including that the court's primary treatments that cut off the child from the primag concern must be to ensure the health, safety, and parent;counseling may not be ordered unless it isgenerally welfare of the child. accepted ad scientifically valid as safe and effective. • Requires experts offer testimony only on Background topics where there is demonstrated, relevant In March 2022,President Biden signed the expertise and experience on the topic for reauthorization of the VAWA,which included new which they are testifying in child custody groundbreaking provisions (Kayden's Law) to improve proceedings. child safety laws in family court. Under this legislation, • Requires the Judicial Council to establish federal STOP grant funding is allocated to states that training programs on child abuse, domestic violence, adopt child custody and domestic violence statutes to coercive control, bias, and trauma for on going training to further prioritize child safety as outlined in VAWA. allprofessionals wbo perform duties in famiy law matters. • Requires Judicial Council to collect and SB 331, known as "Piqui's Law," is named after a 5- report judicial training data relating to hours year-old boy who was murdered by his father on April completed by judges in a continuing education program. 21, 2017. Piqui's mother, Ana Estevez, fought hard in family court to protect her child from her abusive ex- Support husband and father of Piqui. Despite her efforts, the California Protective Parents Association (Sponsor) family court refused to implement supervised Crime Survivors (Co-sponsor) visitation,which led to her son's tragic death. Child Family Court Awareness Month (Co-sponsor) homicide is a crisis in our country. Children are being Angelina Jolie, Humanitarian and Filmmaker murdered by an abusive parent at alarming rates. Advocates for Child Empowerment and Safety According to the Center for Judicial Excellence, since Community Legal Aid SoCal 2008, there have been over 900 reported cases of Incest Survivors Resource Center children being murdered by a divorcing or separating Inner Circle Foster Family Agency/ Inner Circle parent in the United States. Children's Advocacy