Developmental services.

Existing law, the California Early Intervention Services Act, provides a statewide system of coordinated, comprehensive, family-centered, multidisciplinary, and interagency programs that are responsible for providing appropriate early intervention services and support to all eligible infants and toddlers, as defined, and their families. The act requires these services to be provided pursuant to the existing regional center system under the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act, and further requires the regional centers to comply with that act and its implementing regulations, as specified. This bill would provide that the use of private health insurance or a health care service plan to pay for early intervention services may not result in the loss of specified benefits for the covered individual or family, may not negatively affect the availability of health coverage for the covered individual or family, and may not be the basis for increasing health insurance or health care service plan premiums for the covered individual or family, as specified. Existing law authorizes a residential facility licensed as an adult residential facility, group home, small family home, foster family home, or a family home certified by a foster family agency, that serves individuals with developmental disabilities, to install and utilize delayed egress devices, as defined. This bill would additionally authorize a licensee of an adult residential facility or group home, that is utilizing delayed egress devices, and that serves individuals with developmental disabilities, to install and utilize secured perimeters, as defined, in accordance with specified provisions. This bill would also authorize a licensee of an intermediate care facility/developmentally disabled habilitative, as defined, and an intermediate care facility/developmentally disabled, as defined, to utilize delayed egress devices, as defined, in combination with secured perimeters, as defined, in accordance with specified provisions. The Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act authorizes the State Department of Developmental Services to contract with regional centers to provide services and supports to individuals with developmental disabilities. The services and supports to be provided to a regional center consumer are contained in an individual program plan (IPP) , developed in accordance with prescribed requirements. Existing law vests in the department jurisdiction over state hospitals referred to as developmental centers for the provision of residential care to persons with developmental disabilities. This bill would revise the provisions governing admission and stay in developmental centers, including limiting developmental center admissions for an acute crisis, as defined, to the Fairview Developmental Center, and limiting admission, generally, to persons meeting specified criteria. This bill would make related, conforming, and technical changes. This bill would require the department to establish a statewide specialized resource service for the purposes of tracking available services, and would require regional centers to complete comprehensive assessments, as specified. This bill would revise certain provisions relating to out-of-state placements, including limiting the purchase of out-of-state services to no more than 6 months, except as specified. This bill would require the department and the regional centers to annually compile and post specified data on their respective Internet Web sites. This bill, commencing July 1, 2012, would prohibit a regional center from purchasing new residential services from institutions for mental disease, as defined, except as specified. Existing law requires the department and regional centers to ensure that supported living arrangements for adults with developmental disabilities are made available, as specified. Existing law requires an independent assessment for consumers receiving supported living who have supported living service costs that exceed 125% of the annual statewide average cost of supported living services, as specified. This bill would delete the latter provision and would instead require the IPP team to complete a standardized assessment questionnaire at the time of development, review, or modification of a consumer's IPP. The bill would require the department to develop this questionnaire, post it on its Internet Web site, and provide it to the regional centers by June 30, 2012. The bill would require, upon a determination of a reduction in services pursuant to these provisions, that the regional center inform the consumer of the reason for the determination and provide a written notice of fair hearing rights, as specified. Existing law requires regional centers, in order to implement changes in the level of funding for regional center purchase of services, to reduce certain payments for services and supports by 4.25% from July 1, 2010, to June 30, 2012, except as specified, and authorizes the temporary modification of personnel requirements, functions, or qualifications, or staff training requirements, and suspends prescribed annual review and reporting requirements for affected providers, until June 30, 2012. This bill would require regional centers, commencing July 1, 2012, until June 30, 2013, to reduce certain payments for services and supports by 1.25%. The bill would extend the authorization of temporary modification of personnel requirements, functions, or qualifications, or staff training requirements, as well as the suspension of the prescribed annual review and reporting requirements for affected providers, until June 30, 2013. Under existing law, regional center contracts require certain specified staffing levels and expertise, which are suspended from July 1, 2010, to June 30, 2012. This bill would suspend those staffing requirements until June 30, 2013. This bill would, if a condition set forth in a specified provision of the Budget Act of 2012 is satisfied, state the intent of the Legislature for the department to identify up to $50,000,000 in General Fund savings from the developmental services system, as prescribed. This bill would require the department to consider input from prescribed stakeholders. This bill would require, as prescribed, the department to report to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee within 10 days of the specified reduction as directed within the Budget Act of 2012. This bill would appropriate $1,000 from the General Fund to the State Department of Developmental Services for administration. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as a bill providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill.