Home care services: licensing and registration: regional center vendors.

Existing law, The Home Care Services Consumer Protection Act, beginning January 1, 2016, provides for the licensure and regulation of home care organizations, as defined, by the State Department of Social Services, and the registration of home care aides. The act excludes specified entities from the definition of a home care organization, including an organization vendored or contracted through a regional center or the State Department of Developmental Services to provide services and supports for persons with developmental disabilities when funding for those services is provided through the State Department of Developmental Services and more than 50 percent of the recipients of the home care services provided by that organization are persons with developmental disabilities. Existing law also excludes certain types of individuals as home care aides for the purposes of these provisions, including individuals who work at organizations that provide services and supports to people with developmental disabilities, as noted above. Willful or repeated violation of these provisions is a crime. This bill would include in the definition of home care organization, for purposes of the act, an organization that is vendored or contracted through a regional center or the State Department of Developmental Services to provide services and supports for persons with developmental disabilities when funding for those services is provided through the State Department of Developmental Services and more than 50 percent of the recipients of the home care services provided by that organization are persons with developmental disabilities and would make individuals who work in those organizations home care aides, for purposes of the act. By expanding the definition of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.