Bill Text: CA AB1957 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Chaptered

California Assembly Bill 1957 (Prior Session Legislation)

CA State Legislature page for AB1957

Bill Title: Disparities within the developmental services system.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2022-09-13 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 314, Statutes of 2022. [AB1957 Detail]

Download: California-2021-AB1957-Chaptered.html

Assembly Bill No. 1957

CHAPTER 314

An act to amend Section 4519.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to developmental services.

[ Approved by Governor September 13, 2022. Filed with Secretary of State September 13, 2022. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1957, Wilson. Disparities within the developmental services system.

Existing law establishes within the Health and Welfare Agency a State Department of Developmental Services and sets forth its powers and duties, including, but not limited to, the administration of state developmental centers and the administration and oversight of community programs providing services to consumers with developmental disabilities and their families. 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. Existing law requires the department and regional centers to annually collaborate to compile specified data relating to purchase of service authorization, utilization, and expenditure by each regional center, such as the primary language spoken by the consumer and the number of instances a written program plan was provided in a language other than a threshold language, as defined, more than 60 days after a request. Existing law requires a regional center to provide a written copy of an individual program to the consumer within 45 days of their request in a threshold language.

This bill would additionally require the department and the regional centers to compile and report the number of instances a written copy of a plan was provided in a threshold language more than 45 days after the request. The bill would require the centers and the department to report beginning with data for the fiscal year of 2023–24, the numbers and percentages and total per capital expenditure and authorization amounts, as specified, for certain service types, such as social recreation activities and educational services, among others.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 4519.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:

4519.5.

(a) The department and the regional centers shall annually collaborate to compile data in a uniform manner relating to purchase of service authorization, utilization, and expenditure by each regional center with respect to all of the following:

(1) The age of the consumer, categorized by the following:

(A) Birth to two years of age, inclusive.

(B) Three to 21 years of age, inclusive.

(2) Race or ethnicity of the consumer.

(3) Preferred language spoken by the consumer, and other related details, as feasible.

(4) Disability detail, in accordance with the categories established by subdivision (a) of Section 4512, and, if applicable, a category specifying that the disability is unknown.

(5) Residence type, subcategorized by age, race or ethnicity, and preferred language.

(6) Number of instances when the written copy of the individual program plan was provided at the request of the consumer and, when appropriate, the consumer’s parents, legal guardian or conservator, or authorized representative, in a language other than a threshold language, as defined by paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 1810.410 of Title 9 of the California Code of Regulations, if that written copy was provided more than 60 days after the request.

(7) Number of instances when the written copy of the individual program plan was provided at the request of the consumer and, when appropriate, the consumer’s parents, legal guardian or conservator, or authorized representative, in a threshold language, as defined by paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 1810.410 of Title 9 of the California Code of Regulations, if that written copy was provided more than 45 days after the request, in violation of paragraph (5) of subdivision (a) of Section 4646.5.

(8) Beginning with data for the fiscal year of 2023–24, the numbers, percentages, and total and per capita expenditure and authorization amounts, by age, as applicable, according to race or ethnicity and preferred language, for all combined residence types and for consumers living in the family home, regarding the following service types:

(A) Camping and associated travel expenses.

(B) Social recreation activities.

(D) Nonmedical therapies, including, but not limited to, specialized recreation, art, dance, and music.

(b) The data reported pursuant to subdivision (a) shall also include the number and percentage of individuals, categorized by age, race or ethnicity, and disability, and by residence type, as set forth in paragraph (5) of subdivision (a), who have been determined to be eligible for regional center services, but are not receiving purchase of service funds.

(c) By March 31, 2013, each regional center shall post the data described in this section that are specific to the regional center on its website. Commencing on December 31, 2013, each regional center shall annually post these data by December 31. Each regional center shall maintain all previous years’ data on its website.

(d) By March 31, 2013, the department shall post the information described in this section on a statewide basis on its website. Commencing December 31, 2013, the department shall annually post this information by December 31. The department shall maintain all previous years’ data on its website. The department shall also post notice of any regional center stakeholder meetings on its website.

(e) Within three months of compiling the data with the department, and annually thereafter, each regional center shall meet with stakeholders in one or more public meetings regarding the data. The meeting or meetings shall be held separately from any meetings held pursuant to Section 4660. The regional center shall provide participants of these meetings with the data and any associated information related to improvements in the provision of developmental services to underserved communities and shall conduct a discussion of the data and the associated information in a manner that is culturally and linguistically appropriate for that community, including providing alternative communication services, as required by Sections 11135 to 11139.7, inclusive, of the Government Code and implementing regulations. Regional centers shall inform the department of the scheduling of those public meetings 30 days prior to the meeting. Notice of the meetings shall also be posted on the regional center’s website 30 days prior to the meeting and shall be sent to individual stakeholders and groups representing underserved communities in a timely manner. Each regional center shall, in holding the meetings required by this subdivision, consider the language needs of the community and shall schedule the meetings at times and locations designed to result in a high turnout by the public and underserved communities.

(f) (1) Each regional center shall annually report to the department regarding its implementation of the requirements of this section. The report shall include, but shall not be limited to, all of the following:

(A) Actions the regional center took to improve public attendance and participation at stakeholder meetings, including, but not limited to, attendance and participation by underserved communities.

(B) Copies of minutes from the meeting and attendee comments.

(C) Whether the data described in this section indicate a need to reduce disparities in the purchase of services among consumers in the regional center’s catchment area. If the data do indicate that need, the regional center’s recommendations and plan to promote equity, and reduce disparities, in the purchase of services.

(2) Each regional center and the department shall annually post the reports required by paragraph (1) on its website by August 31.

(g) (1) The department shall consult with stakeholders, including consumers and families that reflect the ethnic and language diversity of regional center consumers, regional centers, advocates, providers, family resource centers, the protection and advocacy agency described in Section 4901, and those entities designated as University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service pursuant to Section 15061 of Title 42 of the United States Code, to achieve the following objectives:

(A) Review the data compiled pursuant to subdivision (a).

(B) Identify barriers to equitable access to services and supports among consumers and develop recommendations to help reduce disparities in purchase of service expenditures.

(C) Encourage the development and expansion of culturally appropriate services, service delivery, and service coordination.

(D) Identify best practices to reduce disparity and promote equity.

(2) The department shall report the status of its efforts to satisfy the requirements of paragraph (1) during the 2016–17 legislative budget subcommittee hearing process.

(h) (1) Subject to available funding, the department shall allocate funding to regional centers or community-based organizations with department oversight to assist with implementation of the recommendations and plans developed pursuant to subdivisions (f) and (g). Activities funded through these allocations may include, but are not limited to, pay differentials supporting direct care bilingual staff of community-based service providers, parent or caregiver education programs, cultural competency training for regional center staff, outreach to underserved populations, or additional culturally appropriate service types or service delivery models.

(2) Each regional center shall consult with stakeholders regarding activities that may be effective in addressing disparities in the receipt of regional center services and the regional center’s proposed requests for the funding specified in paragraph (1). Each regional center shall identify the stakeholders it consulted with and include information on how it incorporated the input of stakeholders into its requests.

(3) A community-based organization may submit a request for grant funding pursuant to this subdivision. The organization shall submit the request concurrently to the regional center of the jurisdiction in which the organization is located and to the department. The regional center shall provide the department with input regarding the request prior to the department’s final determination on the request.

(4) The department shall review requests for funding within 45 days from the deadline specified in the department’s guidance to regional centers and community-based organizations.

(5) Each regional center and community-based organization receiving funding shall report annually to the department, in a manner determined by the department, on how the funding allocations were used and shall include recommendations of priorities for activities that may be effective in addressing disparities, based on the consultation with stakeholders.

(6) The department shall post the following information on its website:

(A) By September 1 of any year in which grant funding is available and has not been allocated, a structure for the grant program, including all of the following information:

(i) How community-based organizations reflecting groups that are disadvantaged by disparities in the purchase of services will be invited to participate in the grant program.

(ii) How statewide strategies were considered.

(iii) How the department will ensure grant funds are not used for activities that regional centers are otherwise required by statute or regulation to conduct.

(iv) How funded activities will be evaluated.

(B) By October 1 of any year in which grant funding is available and has not been allocated, the final invitation for requests for funding or another mechanism through which requests for funding are solicited.

(C) By January 1 of any year in which grant funding has been allocated, a list of grant recipients, funding level per grant, and a description of the funded project.

(D) By May 1 of any year in which the information is available, evaluation results from prior grants. To ensure the department complies with this subparagraph, regional centers and community-based organizations receiving funding shall provide the department, by March 1 of the same year, with an evaluation of funded activities and the effectiveness of those activities in reducing disparities in the purchase of services, to the extent information is available.

(i) On or before December 31, 2021, the department shall contract with an entity or entities with demonstrated experience in quantitative and qualitative data evaluation to design and conduct an independent evaluation of the efforts to promote equity and reduce disparities pursuant to subdivision (h).