Jessica Caloza

Existing law designates the State Department of Social Services as the single state agency with full power to supervise every phase of the administration of public social services. Under existing law, the department coordinates aid and response programs, including a rapid response program, disaster relief grants, and homeless youth emergency service pilot projects.

Existing law authorizes a law enforcement agency to request the Department of the California Highway Patrol to activate a Silver Alert, as defined, if the agency receives a report of a missing person who is 65 years of age or older, developmentally disabled, or cognitively impaired, and certain conditions are met, including that all local resources have been utilized and the disappearance is unexplained or suspicious. Upon concurrence by the Department of the California Highway Patrol that the precedent conditions have been met, existing law requires the patrol to issue the alert, which may take the form of a be-on-the-lookout alert, an Emergency Digital Information Service message, or an electronic flyer, within a specified geographical area.

This bill would require the department, in collaboration with the Department of Housing and Community Development, to create a Pink Alert, defined as a registration-based notification system designed to issue and coordinate alerts with respect to a person who is pregnant and seeks shelter or emergency prenatal services. This bill would authorize an individual helping a pregnant person to text a specified number to alert necessary emergency services the location of the pregnant person in need. The bill would authorize an individual to specify whether the pregnant person is in need of housing or services and would encourage local emergency services to assist the pregnant person by taking them to the nearest hospital or shelter.