Bill Text: CA AB1220 | 2025-2026 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Regional centers: transparency and accountability.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-21 - Introduced. To print. [AB1220 Detail]
Download: California-2025-AB1220-Introduced.html
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 1220
| Introduced by Assembly Member Arambula |
February 21, 2025 |
An act relating to developmental services.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1220, as introduced, Arambula.
Regional centers: transparency and accountability.
Existing law, the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act, requires the State Department of Developmental Services to contract with regional centers to provide services and supports to individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation relating to transparency and accountability in the regional center system, and make related findings and declarations.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(1) Transparency and accountability in the regional center system are essential to ensuring equitable access to services for individuals with developmental disabilities.
(2) While regional centers currently report appeals data to the State Department of Developmental Services, there is no reporting mechanism in place for tracking service denials and notices of action (NOAs).
(3) Disparities exist in service access, particularly among Latino and non-English-speaking families, due to a lack of information and accessibility.
(4) Establishing a statewide reporting mechanism will improve oversight, address disparities, and enhance public trust in the developmental services system.
(5) Service disparities persist, particularly among Latino, Black, Asian, Indigenous, and non-English-speaking communities, as well as low-income families, leading to inequitable access to vital developmental services.
(6) Current reporting requirements focus only on service approvals and appeals, but do not capture the data on service denials, leaving gaps in oversight and accountability that contribute to systemic inequities.
(7) Families often receive inconsistent communication regarding service denials, and NOAs are not always issued, making it difficult for consumers to understand their rights or
navigate the appeals process.
(8) Regional centers have inconsistent policies regarding how and when NOAs are provided, which has resulted in a lack of due process and procedural protections for consumers.
(9) Public reporting of service denials and appeals will allow lawmakers, advocates, and families to monitor disparities and hold regional centers accountable for fair and consistent decisionmaking.
(10) Mandating the inclusion of service denials in individualized program plans will create a permanent, trackable record of service requests and decisions ensuring transparency and fairness in service allocation.
(11) A standardized and accessible data dashboard, available in multiple languages and user-friendly formats, will ensure families, advocacy
organizations, and policymakers have the necessary tools to track and address systemic inequities.
(12) Ensuring the department collects and publishes data on service denials, NOAs, and appeals will provide a critical foundation for evaluating equity, effectiveness, and accountability within the regional center system.
(13) The implementation of this act will provide a structured and enforceable mechanism for the department to ensure compliance across all 21 regional centers and improve the overall integrity of the service system.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation relating to transparency and accountability in the regional center system.
