(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (1) That the provision of quality services for victims of crime is of high priority. (2) That existing victim service programs do not have sufficient financial resources to consistently recruit and employ fully trained personnel. (3) That there is no consistency in the training provided to the various agencies serving victims. (4) That comprehensive training for victim service agencies is geographically limited or unavailable. (5) That there is currently no statewide comprehensive training system in place for the state to ensure that all service providers receive adequate training to provide quality services to victims of crime. (6) It is the intention of the Legislature to establish a statewide training program within the Office of Emergency Services to provide comprehensive standardized training to victim service providers. (b) The Office of Emergency Services shall establish a statewide victim-assistance training program, the purpose of which is to develop minimum training and selection standards, certify training courses, and provide funding to enable local victim service providers to acquire the required training. (c) (1) For the purpose of raising the level of competence of local victim service providers, the Office of Emergency Services shall adopt guidelines establishing minimum standards of training for employees of victim-witness and sexual assault programs funded by the office to provide services to victims of crime. The Office of Emergency Services shall establish an advisory committee composed of recognized statewide victim service organizations, representatives of local victim service programs, and others selected at the discretion of the executive director to consult on the research and development of the training, selection, and equivalency standards. (2) Any local unit of government, community-based organization, or any other public or private nonprofit entity funded by the Office of Emergency Services as a victim-witness or sexual assault program to provide services to victims of crime shall adhere to the training and selection standards established by the Office of Emergency Services. The standards for sexual assault victim service programs developed by the advisory committee established pursuant to Section 13836 shall be the standards for purposes of this section. With the exception of the sexual assault standards, the Office of Emergency Services shall conduct or contract with an appropriate firm or entity for research on validated standards pursuant to this section in consultation with the advisory committee established pursuant to paragraph (1). The Office of Emergency Services may defer the adoption of the selection standards until the necessary research is completed. Until the standards are adopted, affected victim service programs may receive state funding from the Office of Emergency Services upon certification of their willingness to adhere to the training standards adopted by the Office of Emergency Services. (3) Minimum training and selection standards may include, but shall not be limited to, basic entry, continuation, supervisory, management, specialized curricula, and confidentiality. (4) Training and selection standards shall apply to all victim service and management personnel of the victim-witness and sexual assault agencies funded by the Office of Emergency Services to provide services to victims of crime. Exemptions from this requirement may be made by the Office of Emergency Services. A victim service agency which, despite good faith efforts, is unable to meet the standards established pursuant to this section, may apply to the Office of Emergency Services for an exemption. For the purpose of exemptions, the Office of Emergency Services may establish procedures that allow for partial adherence. The Office of Emergency Services may develop equivalency standards which recognize professional experience, education, training, or a co
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