2023 California Code
Government Code - GOV
TITLE 8 - THE ORGANIZATION AND GOVERNMENT OF COURTS
CHAPTER 2 - The Judicial Council
ARTICLE 3 - Coordinated Educational Programs for the Judiciary
Section 68555.

68555. (a) The Judicial Council shall establish judicial training programs for individuals who perform duties in domestic violence or child custody matters, including, but not limited to, judicial officers, referees, commissioners, and if employed by the court, guardians ad litem, custody evaluators, mediators, and child custody recommending counselors, and others who are deemed appropriate by the Judicial Council.

(b) (1) The training program described in this section shall be an ongoing training and education program designed to improve the ability of courts to recognize and respond to child physical abuse, child sexual abuse, domestic violence, and trauma in family victims, particularly children, and to make appropriate custody decisions that prioritize child safety and well-being and are culturally sensitive and appropriate for diverse communities.

(2) The training program described in this section shall include a domestic violence session in any orientation session conducted for newly appointed or elected judges, an annual training session in domestic violence, and periodic updates in all aspects of domestic violence, including, but not limited to:

(A) Child sexual abuse.

(B) Physical abuse.

(C) Emotional abuse.

(D) Coercive control.

(E) Implicit and explicit bias related to parties involved in domestic violence cases.

(F) Trauma.

(G) Long- and short-term impacts of domestic violence and child abuse on children.

(H) The detriment to children of residing with a person who perpetrates domestic violence.

(I) That domestic violence can occur without a party seeking or obtaining a restraining order, without a substantiated child protective services finding, and without other documented evidence of abuse.

(J) Victim and perpetrator behavioral patterns and relationship dynamics within the cycle of violence.

(Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 865, Sec. 4. (SB 331) Effective January 1, 2024.)