AB 1957: 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 202324, 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.