§ 13300

(a) Subject to the availability of funding in the act that added this chapter or the annual Budget Act, the department shall contract, as described in Section 13301, with qualified nonprofit legal services organizations to provide legal and social services, as needed, to immigrant youth. It is the intent of the Legislature to provide improved and coordinated access to social services alongside the provision of state-funded immigration-related legal services for more immigrant youth in California and that programs should provide for, at a minimum, the level of quality of individual services as enabled as a result of the appropriations made in the 2026 Budget Act.

(b) For purposes of this section and Section 13301, the term “immigrant youth” means an immigrant younger than 21 years of age in removal proceedings or an unaccompanied undocumented minor.

(c) For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply:

(1) “Unaccompanied undocumented minors” means unaccompanied children as described in Section 279(g)(2) of Title 6 of the United States Code.

(2) “Legal services” means culturally and linguistically appropriate services provided by attorneys, paralegals, interpreters and other support staff for state court proceedings, federal immigration proceedings, and any appeals arising from those proceedings.

(3) “Social services” means culturally and linguistically appropriate services, including, but not limited to, intake screenings and assessments, coordination of care, and navigation services, provided by social workers, caseworkers, interpreters, and other support staff.

(Amended by Stats. 2026, Ch. 26, Sec. 21. (AB 152) Effective June 29, 2026.)