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<ns0:Action>
<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2025-02-21</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
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<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Jeff Gonzalez</ns0:AuthorText>
<ns0:Authors>
<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>LEAD_AUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Jeff Gonzalez</ns0:Name>
</ns0:Legislator>
</ns0:Authors>
<ns0:Title> An act to amend Sections 4851, 4856, 4861, and 4865 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to developmental services. </ns0:Title>
<ns0:RelatingClause>developmental services</ns0:RelatingClause>
<ns0:GeneralSubject>
<ns0:Subject>Habilitation services.</ns0:Subject>
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<ns0:DigestText>
<html:p>Existing law, the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act, requires the State Department of Developmental Services to contract with regional centers to provide services and support to individuals with developmental disabilities. Existing law requires a regional center consumer to be referred to a provider of habilitation services if they are determined to be in need of habilitation services. Existing law authorizes a regional center to vendor a new work activity or supported employment program after determining the capacity of the program to deliver effective services and assessing the ability of the program to comply with the requirements of CARF the Rehabilitation Accreditation Commission. Existing law requires a regional center to monitor, evaluate, and audit habilitation services providers for program effectiveness using performance criteria that include, among other things,
compliance with applicable CARF standards.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would remove the requirement for a work activity program or supported employment program to comply with the requirements of CARF the Rehabilitation Accreditation Commission, and would instead require a regional center to monitor, evaluate, and audit habilitation services providers for program effectiveness using, among other things, services standards contained in regulations adopted by the department. The bill would also make related conforming changes.</html:p>
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<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
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<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
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Section 4851 of the
<ns0:DocName>Welfare and Institutions Code</ns0:DocName>
is amended to read:
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<ns0:Num>4851.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>The definitions contained in this chapter shall govern the construction of this chapter, with respect to habilitation services provided through the regional center, and unless the context requires otherwise, the following terms shall have the following meanings:</html:p>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Habilitation services” means community-based services purchased or provided for adults with developmental disabilities, including services provided under the Work Activity Program and the Supported Employment Program, to prepare and maintain them at their highest level of vocational functioning, or to prepare them for referral to vocational rehabilitation services.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Individual program plan” means the overall plan developed by a regional center pursuant to
Section 4646.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Individual habilitation service plan” means the service plan developed by the habilitation service vendor to meet employment goals in the individual program plan.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(d)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Department” means the State Department of Developmental Services.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(e)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Work activity program” includes, but is not limited to, work activity centers or community-based work activity programs certified pursuant to subdivision
(f).
</html:p>
<html:p>
(f)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Certification” means certification procedures developed by the Department of Rehabilitation.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(g)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Work activity program day” means the period of time during which a Work Activity Program provides services to consumers.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(h)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Supported employment program” means a program that meets the requirements of subdivisions (j) to (o), inclusive.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(i)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Consumer” means any adult who receives services purchased under this chapter.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(j)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Supported employment” means paid work that is integrated in the community for individuals with developmental disabilities.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(k)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Integrated work” means the engagement of an employee with a disability in work in a setting typically found in the community in which individuals interact with individuals without disabilities other than those who are providing services to those individuals, to the same extent that individuals without disabilities in comparable positions interact with other persons.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(l)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Supported employment placement” means the employment of an individual with a developmental disability by an employer in the community, directly or through contract with a supported employment program. This includes provision of ongoing support services necessary for the individual to retain employment.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(m)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Allowable supported employment services” means the services approved in the individual program plan and specified in the individual habilitation service plan for the purpose of achieving
supported employment as an outcome, and may include any of the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Job development, to the extent authorized by the regional center.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Program staff time for conducting job analysis of supported employment opportunities for a specific consumer.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Program staff time for the direct supervision or training of a consumer or consumers while they engage in integrated work unless other arrangements for consumer supervision, including, but not limited to, employer supervision reimbursed by the supported employment program, are approved by the regional center.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(4)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Community-based training in adaptive functional and social skills necessary to ensure job adjustment and retention.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(5)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Counseling with a consumer’s significant other to ensure support of a consumer in job adjustment.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(6)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Advocacy or intervention on behalf of a consumer to resolve problems affecting the consumer’s work adjustment or retention.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(7)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Ongoing support services needed to ensure the consumer’s retention of the job.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(n)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Group services” means job coaching in a group supported employment placement at a job coach-to-consumer ratio of not less than one-to-three nor more than one-to-eight where services to a minimum of three consumers are
funded by the regional center or the Department of Rehabilitation. For consumers receiving group services, ongoing support services shall be limited to job coaching and shall be provided at the worksite.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(o)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Individualized services” means job coaching and other supported employment services for regional center-funded consumers in a supported employment placement at a job coach-to-consumer ratio of one-to-one, and that decrease over time until stabilization is achieved. Individualized services may be provided on or off the jobsite.
</html:p>
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<ns0:BillSection id="id_349008AD-7F28-4D5B-BD16-221ECC87BB1E">
<ns0:Num>SEC. 2.</ns0:Num>
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Section 4856 of the
<ns0:DocName>Welfare and Institutions Code</ns0:DocName>
is amended to read:
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<ns0:LawSection id="id_F4E2C011-39B4-48A2-957A-7FD44E28C596">
<ns0:Num>4856.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The regional center shall monitor, evaluate, and audit habilitation services providers for program effectiveness, using performance criteria that include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Service quality.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Protections for individuals receiving services.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Compliance with applicable services standards contained in regulations adopted by the department.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The regional center may impose immediate sanctions on providers of work activity programs and supported employment programs for noncompliance with services standards contained in regulations adopted by the department, and for safety violations that pose a threat to consumers of habilitation services.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Sanctions include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(A)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A moratorium on new referrals.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(B)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Imposition of a corrective plan as specified in regulations.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(C)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Removal of consumers from a service area where dangerous conditions or abusive conditions exist.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(D)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Termination of vendorization.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A moratorium on new referrals may be the first formal sanction to be taken except in instances in which consumers are at imminent risk of abuse or other harm. When the regional center determines a moratorium on new referrals to be the first formal sanction, a corrective action plan shall be developed. The moratorium shall be lifted only when the conditions cited
are corrected per a corrective action plan.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(d)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A corrective action plan is a formal sanction, that may be imposed either simultaneously with a moratorium on new referrals, or as a single sanction in circumstances that do not require a moratorium, as determined by the regional center. Noncompliance with the conditions and timelines of the corrective action plan shall result in termination of vendorization.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(e)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Removal of consumers from a program shall only take place when dangerous or abusive conditions are present, or upon termination of vendorization. In instances of removal for health and safety reasons, when the corrections are made by the program, as determined by the regional
center, consumers may return, at their option.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(f)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A provider sanctioned under subparagraph (B) or (C) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) may request an administrative
review, as specified in Section 4648.1.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(g)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A provider sanctioned under subparagraph (D) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) shall have a right to a formal review by the Office of Administrative Hearings under Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 11370) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(h)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
If a habilitation services provider is under sanction under former Section 19354.5, the provider shall complete the
requirements of the corrective action plan or any other terms or conditions imposed upon it as part of the sanctions. At the end of the term of the corrective action plan or other compliance requirements, the services provider shall be evaluated by the regional center based upon the requirements in this section.
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 3.</ns0:Num>
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Section 4861 of the
<ns0:DocName>Welfare and Institutions Code</ns0:DocName>
is amended to read:
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<ns0:Num>4861.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>A regional center may vendor a new work activity or supported employment program after determining the capacity of the program to deliver effective
services.</html:p>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Programs that receive the regional center’s approval to provide supported employment services shall receive rates in accordance with Section 4860.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A new work activity program shall receive the statewide average rate, as determined by the department. As soon as the new work activity program has a historical period of not less than three months that is representative of the cost per consumer, as determined by the department, the department shall set the rate in accordance with Section 4859.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The regional center may approve or disapprove proposals submitted by new or existing vendors based on all of the following criteria, to the extent that it is federally
permissible:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The need for a work activity or supported employment program.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The capacity of the vendor to deliver work activity or supported employment services effectively.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The ability of the vendor to comply with the requirements of this section.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(4)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The ability of the vendor to achieve integrated paid work for consumers served in supported employment.
</html:p>
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 4.</ns0:Num>
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Section 4865 of the
<ns0:DocName>Welfare and Institutions Code</ns0:DocName>
is amended to read:
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<ns0:Num>4865.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>At the request of the Department of Rehabilitation, a work activity or supported employment program, or both, shall release state licensing reports and consumer special incident reports, as required by law or
regulations, in instances of suspected abuse.</html:p>
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