California · Penal Code

PEN §13879.80: (a) Every law enforcement and social services agency in this state is encouraged to develop, adopt, and implement written policies and standards for their response to narcotics crime scenes where a ch

Civil

What this law says, in plain English

Law enforcement and social services agencies are encouraged to develop written policies for responding to narcotics crime scenes where children are present or live, coordinating arrest and child welfare investigations.

Read the full statutory text
(a) Every law enforcement and social services agency in this state is encouraged to develop, adopt, and implement written policies and standards for their response to narcotics crime scenes where a child is either immediately present or where there is evidence that a child lives, by January 1, 2005. These policies shall reflect the fact that exposing a child to the manufacturing, trafficking, and use of narcotics is criminal conduct and that a response coordinated by law enforcement and social services agencies is essential to the child’s health and welfare. (b) The needs of a drug endangered child are best served with written policies encouraging the arrest of an individual for child endangerment where there is probable cause that an offense has been committed coordinated with an appropriate investigation of the child’s welfare by child protective agencies. Protocols that encourage a dependency investigation contemporaneous with a law enforcement investigation at a narcotics crime scene, when appropriate, are consistent with a child’s best interest.

Verify at the official source: California legislative text

Facing this? Know exactly what happens next.

MOFRD turns this code section into your situation: the deadlines that apply to you, the forms your county uses, and the resolution paths people in your position actually take. Free for 3 days — no card required.

This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.