Disability Equity, Transparency, and Accountability Act of 2024.

The Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act makes the State Department of Developmental Services responsible for providing various services and supports to individuals with developmental disabilities, and for ensuring the appropriateness and quality of those services and supports. Pursuant to that law, the department contracts with regional centers to provide services and supports to persons with developmental disabilities. This bill would enact the Disability Equity, Transparency, and Accountability Act of 2024, which would make various changes to the act for purposes including providing increased oversight of regional center operations and performance. The bill would prohibit a regional center employee from accepting gifts over $15 per year from specified entities and would require each regional center to establish a policy prohibiting regional center senior staff from hiring relatives, as specified. The bill also would, beginning on January 1, 2026, make regional centers subject to requirements of the California Public Records Act. Notwithstanding any other law, the bill would require access to records regarding an applicant for, or recipient of, services to be provided, upon request, to the applicant, recipient, or their authorized representative, as specified, unless expressly prohibited by law. The bill would make related findings and declarations and state the legislative intent related to these provisions.