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, in collaboration with stakeholders, to identify a valid and reliable quality assurance instrument that assesses consumer and family satisfaction, provision of services in a linguistically and competent manner, and personal outcomes, as specified.

This bill would require the department, no later than July 1, 2026, to review, assess, and map all established and currently pending regional center and vendored service provider quality, performance, and outcome measures and surveys that are used within the California developmental services system, as specified. The bill would also require the department, on or before January 1, 2027, to consult with stakeholders and appropriate subject matter experts via a workgroup to develop a uniform set of quality, performance, and outcomes measures and measures, a tracking mechanism to measure, compare, and track over time, time the consistency, equity, and accountability in promoting the choice, autonomy, and life quality of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. families, and performance indicators and benchmarks for regional centers, as specified. The bill would require the department to submit a related report to the Legislature no later than January 1, 2028.

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, in collaboration with stakeholders, to identify a valid and reliable quality assurance instrument that assesses consumer and family satisfaction, provision of services in a linguistically and competent manner, and personal outcomes, as specified.

This bill would require the department to develop and adopt a uniform and comprehensive set of readily quantifiable quality, performance, and outcomes measures with which quality, performance, and outcomes shall be measured, compared, and tracked over time, at the individual, regional center, and systemwide levels, as specified. The bill would require the measures to be used to track the performance outcomes of the department, regional centers, and vendored providers for consistency, equity, and accountability in promoting the choice, autonomy, and life-quality of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families who are served under the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act. The bill would require the department, no later than _____, and before developing the quality, performance, and outcomes measures described above to comprehensively survey, the department, no later than July 1, 2026, to review, assess, and map all established and currently pending regional center and vendored service provider quality, performance, and outcome measures and surveys that are used within the California developmental services system, as specified. The bill would also require the department, on or before January 1, 2027, to consult with stakeholders and appropriate subject matter experts via a workgroup to develop a uniform set of quality, performance, and outcomes measures and a tracking mechanism to measure, compare, and track over time, the consistency, equity, and accountability in promoting the choice, autonomy, and life quality of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. The bill would require the department to submit a related report with its recommendations to the Legislature no later than _____. January 1, 2028.

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, in collaboration with stakeholders, to develop best practices for the administrative management of regional centers and for regional centers to use when purchasing services for consumers and families. identify a valid and reliable quality assurance instrument that assesses consumer and family satisfaction, provision of services in a linguistically and competent manner, and personal outcomes, as specified.

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, in collaboration with stakeholders, to develop best practices for the administrative management of regional centers and for regional centers to use when purchasing services for consumers and families.

This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to that provision.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON

Senator Anna Caballero, Chair

2025 - 2026 Regular Session

AB 1208 (Addis) - California Developmental Disability Services Quality, Performance, and Outcomes Act of 2025

Bill Summary:

AB 1208 would establish the California Developmental Disability Services Quality, Performance, and Outcomes Act of 2025.

Fiscal Impact:

Unknown ongoing General Fund costs, likely low millions, for the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) for state administration.

Background:

California’s Lanterman Act established that individuals with developmental disabilities and their families have a right to receive the necessary supports and services required to live independently in the community. The Lanterman Act enumerates the rights of individuals with developmental disabilities, as well as the rights of their families, what services and supports are available to these individuals, and how regional centers and service providers work together to provide these supports and services. The term “developmental disability” is defined as a disability that originates before a person reaches 18 years of age, is expected to continue indefinitely, and is a significant disability for the individual; such disabilities include, among others: epilepsy, autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, and cerebral palsy.

Direct responsibility for implementation of the Lanterman Act’s service system is shared by DDS and a statewide network of 21 regional centers, which are private, community-based nonprofit entities that contract with DDS to carry out many of the state’s responsibilities. The primary purpose of regional centers is to connect individuals with services in the community. Current law requires the DDS and the regional centers to annually collaborate to compile and report data in a uniform manner relating to purchase of service authorization, utilization, and expenditure by each regional center, as specified.

In March 2025, the California Health and Human Services Agency released a “Master Plan for Developmental Services” which stated:

“The goal of the Master Plan for Developmental Services (MPDS) is to improve how California supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families into the future. Equity was a guiding principle for the MPDS process, because there are people and communities in California who experience unfair treatment and unequal outcomes in the developmental services system. This report talks about ways to make the developmental services systems work better. It provides a vision for a future where people with I/DD have resources needed to thrive in the communities of their choice.”

“Now that the MPDS is finalized, DDS will begin to work on many of the recommendations. This work will move forward in different working groups. DDS will also hold meetings two times per year to focus on work being done on the MPDS. These meetings will center the experiences of people with I/DD and their families, including people who contributed to the MPDS. Based on these efforts DDS will submit an annual report on progress on the MPDS to the legislature.”

Proposed Law:

Specific provisions of the bill would:

• Require DDS to review, assess, and map all established and currently pending regional center and vendored service provider quality, performance, and outcome measures and surveys that are used or are being developed for the purpose of quality, performance, and outcome measurements within the California developmental services system, as specified; and require the department’s review, assessment, and mapping to be completed no later than July 1, 2026.
• Require, on or before January 1, 2027, DDS to consult with stakeholders and appropriate subject matter experts, including academic social scientists with training in program evaluation, causal inference and data science, via a working group, to develop all of the following:
  • A uniform set of quality, performance, and outcomes measures that will permit performance to be measured and outcomes to be tracked at the individual, regional center, vendor, and systemwide levels.
  • A tracking mechanism to measure, compare, and track over time, at the individual, regional center, and systemwide level, the consistency, equity, and accountability in promoting the choice, autonomy, and life quality of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.
  • Performance indicators and benchmarks for regional centers for defining high quality of service and related incentives, as described, and for defining basic performance below which placement on probation and corrective action may be required, as specified.
• Require, on or before January 1, 2028, DDS to submit a report to the Legislature that includes, but is not limited to, the data, methodology, and progress of implementation of quality, performance, and outcome measures.
• Require the quality, performance, and outcome measures to:
  • Be incorporated into any new statewide information technology system that replaces the current patchwork of legacy systems so that precise operational definitions and protocols for consistent data will be available to measure performance and outcomes.
  • Meet the requirements of the final federal home- and community-based settings and access rules and be grounded on evidence-based research and practices.

-- END --

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES

Senator Arreguín, Chair

2025 - 2026 Regular

Subject: California Developmental Disability Services Quality, Performance, and Outcomes Act of 2025

SUMMARY

This bill would require the Department of Developmental Services (DDS), by July 1, 2026, to review and assess all established and pending regional center and vendored service provider quality, performance, and outcome measures and surveys used for the purpose of quality, performance, and outcome measurements within the state’s developmental service system. This bill would require DDS to consult with stakeholders and subject matter experts to develop (1) a uniform set of quality, performance, and outcome measures, (2) a mechanism to measure and track these measures over time, and (3) performance indicators and benchmarks for regional centers. Provides that performance below benchmarks may result in regional center placement on probation and corrective action.

ABSTRACT

Existing Law:

1. Establishes the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act (Lanterman Act), which states that California is responsible for providing a range of services and supports sufficiently complete to meet the needs and choices of each person with developmental disabilities, regardless of age or degree of disability, and at each stage of life, and to support their integration into the mainstream life of the community. (Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) 4500 et seq.)
2. Requires DDS, in consultation with stakeholders, to identify a valid and reliable quality assurance instrument that assesses consumer and family satisfaction, provision of services in a linguistically and culturally competent manner, and personal outcomes. (WIC 4571)
3. Establishes a system of nonprofit regional centers, overseen by DDS, to provide fixed points of contact in the community for all persons with developmental disabilities and their families, to coordinate services and supports best suited to them throughout their lifetime. (WIC 4620)
4. Requires DDS, beginning as early as possible after July 1, 2021, but no later than September 1, 2021, to convene a workgroup to make recommendations to DDS for the development of standard performance improvement indicators and benchmarks to incentivize high-quality regional center operations. By January 10, 2022, as part of the Governor’s Budget, requires DDS to provide a status update based on recommendations provided by the stakeholder group, with an additional status update at the time of the Governor’s May Revision. Outlines topics the recommendations may include priority areas for performance indicators and benchmarks, surveys to assess consumer and family experience and satisfaction, and federal funding agency measures, among others. (WIC 4620.5)
5. Requires each contract with a regional center to specify steps to be taken to ensure contract compliance, including, but not limited to, all of the following:
   1. Incentives that encourage regional centers to meet or exceed performance standards.
   2. Levels of probationary status for regional centers that do not meet, or are at risk of not meeting, performance standards. DDS shall require that corrective action be taken by any regional center that is placed on probation. Corrective action may include, but is not limited to, mandated consultation with designated representatives of the Association of Regional Center Agencies or a management team designated by the department, or both. DDS shall establish the specific timeline for the implementation of corrective action and monitor its implementation. When a regional center is placed on probation, DDS shall provide the state council and the clients’ rights advocacy contractor with a copy of the correction plan, timeline, and any other action taken by DDS relating to the probationary status of the regional center. (WIC 4629(d))
6. Requires each regional center’s governing board, beginning May 1, 2020, and annually thereafter, to hold one or more public meetings regarding its prior year’s contract performance objectives and outcomes. Requires the regional center to provide individuals attending these meetings with data and any associated information to facilitate discussion and community input. (WIC 4629(f)(1))

This Bill:

1. Makes Legislative finding and declarations on the lack of a statewide system for the collection, compilation, interlinking, and storage of data on individuals served by DDS. States the intent of the Legislature to ensure consistency throughout the developmental services system and improve the equitable delivery of services by ensuring the system has a clear set of readily quantifiable measures with which quality, performance, and outcomes shall be measured, compared, and tracked over time, at the individual, service provider, regional center, department, and system wide levels.
2. Requires DDS to review, assess, and map, by July 1, 2026, all established and currently pending regional center and vendored service provider quality, performance, and outcome measures and surveys that are used or are being developed for the purpose of quality, performance, and outcome measurements within the state’s developmental services system. Specifies the measures subject to review shall include existing DDS processes and tools for monitoring and auditing regional centers, performance objectives under regional center contracts, performance improvement indicators and benchmarks to incentivize high-quality regional center operations, principles of individual choice and self-determination and performance thresholds, and National Core Indicators domain surveys, among others.
3. Requires DDS, on or before January 1, 2027, to consult with stakeholders and appropriate subject matter experts to develop all of the following:
   1. A uniform set of quality, performance, and outcomes measures that will permit performance to be measured and outcomes to be tracked at the individual, regional center, vendor, and system wide levels.
   2. A tracking mechanism to measure, compare, and track over time, at the individual, regional center, and system wide level, the consistency, equity, and accountability in promoting the choice, autonomy, and life quality of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.
   3. Performance indicators and benchmarks for regional centers for defining high quality of service and related incentives, as described in (4) above, and for defining basic performance below which placement on probation and corrective action may be required pursuant to (5) above. If a regional center is placed on probation after failing to meet basic performance levels on one or more minimum performance indicators and benchmarks, requires DDS to require corrective action to be taken by the regional center. Requires DDS to provide the regional center access to technical assistance, ensure the participation of the regional center governing board, as specified in (6) above, consider the sharing of resources between regional centers, and provide notices of probation to the entities specified in (5) above. If the regional center’s employees are represented by an exclusive representative, requires the regional center to meet and confer with the exclusive representative about the implementation of any corrective action plan that would have an impact on the represented employees.
4. Requires DDS, on or before January 1, 2028, to submit a report to the Legislature that includes the data, methodology, and progress of implementation of quality, performance, and outcome measures.
5. Requires the quality, performance, and outcome measures to:
   1. Be incorporated into any new statewide information technology system that replaces the current patchwork of legacy systems, and be recorded on the statewide information technology system in a format that will enable differences across different groups, and trends over time, to be measured at the individual, vendor, regional center, and system wide levels.
   2. Meet the requirements of the final federal home- and community-based settings and access rules and be grounded on evidence-based research and practices.

FISCAL IMPACT

According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee,

“DDS estimates total General Fund (GF) costs of approximately $1.4 million in fiscal year (FY) 2025-26, $2.4 million in FY 2026-27, and $2.7 million in FY 2027-28 and annually thereafter, for permanent staffing to fulfill the requirements of this bill. These costs include 14 positions in FY 2025-26, 16 positions in FY 2026-27, and 18 positions in FY 2027-28 and ongoing to manage the increased workload. Additionally, DDS estimates a one-time consulting contract cost of $250,000 (GF) in FY 2025-26 to develop surveys necessary for capturing required data. DDS notes there may be potential costs to regional centers, but these costs are indeterminate at this time.”

BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION

Purpose of the Bill:

According to the author, “Assembly Bill 1208 is an overdue measure that will provide consistency and clarity to individuals, regional centers, service providers, and the state on the outcomes and effectiveness of California's Developmental Disability Services. Establishing reliable and quantifiable outcome-based measures will ensure the system's equity, consistency, and accountability in promoting the choice, autonomy, and life-quality of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.”

Lanterman Act

In 1969, the Lanterman Act established that individuals with developmental disabilities and their families have a right to receive the necessary supports and services required to live independently in the community. The Lanterman Act enumerates the rights of individuals with developmental disabilities, as well as the rights of their families, what services and supports are available to these individuals, and how regional centers and service providers work together to provide these supports and services. The term “developmental disability” is defined as a disability that originates before a person reaches 18 years of age, is expected to continue indefinitely, and is a significant disability for the individual; such disabilities include, among others: epilepsy, autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, and cerebral palsy. There are no income-related eligibility criteria to access developmental services. The Department of Finance estimates that approximately 465,165 individuals will receive developmental services in 2024–25, increasing to 504,905 in 2025–26.^[1]

Regional Centers

Direct responsibility for implementation of the Lanterman Act’s service system is shared by DDS and a statewide network of 21 regional centers, which are private, community-based nonprofit entities that contract with DDS to carry out many of the state’s responsibilities. Regional center contracts include specific and measurable performance objectives. Every year, DDS reviews each regional center’s performance data for compliance with their contracts and posts them on their website. Regional center services are not consistent across the state. One often-cited strength of the regional center system is each regional center’s local control and flexibility, while one challenge is the system’s lack of uniformity.

Recent Equity and Standardization Efforts

The state has been moving toward standardizing the regional center system over the past few years. These efforts include, but are not limited to, the initiatives described below.

AB 1472 (Committee on Budget, Chapter 25, Statutes of 2012) required DDS and regional centers to annually publish purchase of service authorization, utilization, and expenditure data by age, race/ethnicity, primary language, and disability detail.

The Person-Centered Advocacy Vision and Education (PAVE) Project was initiated to create clear, consistent, and measurable service definitions and outcomes that could be used to inform service improvement, training, and value-based purchasing. Detailed and plain language operational definitions were created for supported living services, independent living services, supported employment services, and in-home respite services^[2]. The 2021 Budget Act included funding for the PAVE Service Outcomes pilot project. The pilot project will create a portal for individuals, authorized representatives, service providers, and others in the circle of support to contribute information on a person’s wants, needs, and goals.

AB 136 (Committee on Budget, Chapter 76, Statutes of 2021) established a timeline to phase in provider rate reform and stated the Legislature’s intent to create an enhanced person-centered, outcomes-based system for developmental services. The statute ties provider reimbursement to consumer outcomes by establishing a base provider rate as 90% of the total rate model and a quality incentive payment of up to the remaining 10%. The Quality Incentive Program requires providers to meet certain quality standards to be eligible for the up to 10% quality incentive payment. This two-component payment model is intended to incentivize service quality to improve consumer outcomes.

AB 136 also established a workgroup to make recommendations for the development of standard performance improvement indicators and benchmarks for regional centers. The Regional Center Performance Measures workgroup^[3] identified six focus areas: Early Start, employment, equity and cultural competency, individual and family experience and satisfaction, person-centered services planning, and service coordination and regional center operations. Each focus area has one or more performance measures tied to specific desired outcomes, with corresponding performance targets and incentives. While commitment to the performance measures is voluntary, regional centers are offered non-monetary incentives.

SB 138 (Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review, Chapter 192, Statutes of 2023) established requirements for DDS to develop a standardized individual program plan template, standard vendorization procedures, and a standard intake process; requirements for regional centers related to the intake process and eligibility determination; and data collection and reporting requirements for DDS and regional centers related to purchase of service and consumer demographics. As of January 2025^[4], regional centers are now using the new race, ethnicity, and language data definitions and the standardized individual program plan template and procedures. All other efforts are underway.

The Master Plan for Developmental Services was announced in 2024 and released in March 2025. The Master Plan includes 167 recommendations, including recommendations on accountability and transparency.

DDS continues to develop the CERMS/UFSM information technology project, which has since been renamed Life Outcomes Improvement System (LOIS). This system will replace all case management and fiscal sub-systems under a single integrated system for use by regional centers, service providers, and consumers.

Other equity and standardization efforts include a language access and cultural competency initiative, required implicit bias training for regional center staff, provisional Lanterman Act eligibility for three and four-year olds, and making permanent the option to hold individual program plan meetings remotely.

Master Plan Recommendation: Outcome Measures for Accountability

According to the author, this bill seeks to codify the below recommendation from the Master Plan for Developmental Services^[5].

Use Outcome Measures for Accountability. DDS should create clear performance, quality, accountability and outcomes measures at the individual, regional center, and system wide level. All measures should:

• • Include standards that can help hold vendors, regional centers, and DDS accountable.
  • Include accountability through coordination with other departments and agencies.
  • Make sure they don’t result in unintended consequences that make things worse for people with I/DD, especially those with more intense needs.
  • Include measures that prevent abuse, mistreatment, and discrimination against people served and families.
  • Meet federal and state legal requirements and human rights principles. These requirements should be shared with regional centers and vendors.
  • Be measured and tracked in any new statewide IT system that DDS develops.
  • Link with other important state datasets for research.

As evidenced by the series of initiatives summarized above, DDS, regional centers, and service providers are all working making efforts toward system improvement. This bill would require DDS to review and assess all established and pending regional center and service provider quality, performance, and outcome measures and surveys used in California’s developmental services system. Further, this bill would require DDS to consult with a stakeholder workgroup to develop a uniform set of quality, performance, and outcome measures; a tracking mechanism to monitor these measures over time; and performance indicators and benchmarks for regional centers for defining high quality of service and basic performance.

Related/Prior Legislation:

AB 1147 (Addis, Chapter 902, Statutes of 2024), among other things, made regional centers subject to the California Public Records Act.

AB 162 (Committee on Budget, Chapter 47, Statutes of 2024), among other things, required the Secretary of California Health and Human Services, in coordination with DDS, to lead the development and implementation of the Master Plan for Developmental Services.

SB 138 (Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review, Chapter 192, Statutes of 2023), a budget trailer bill, required common data definitions for race and ethnicity, preferred language, residence codes, sexual orientation, gender identity, and legal status; and standardization for assessments, IPP procedures, intake, and vendorization.

AB 121 (Committee on Budget, Chapter 44, Statutes of 2023) required DDS and regional centers to report deidentified data, in addition to annually compiling these data, among other things.

AB 1957 (Wilson, Chapter 314, Statutes of 2022) added IPP request and per capita expenditure and authorization amounts to the types of data DDS and regional centers must report annually.

AB 136 (Committee on Budget, Chapter 76, Statutes of 2021) codified the timeline for provider rate reform and the 90/10 payment structure for provider rates. AB 136 also established the Regional Center Performance Measures Workgroup to make recommendations for the development of standard performance improvement indicators and benchmarks for regional centers.

AB 107 (Committee on Budget, Chapter 18, Statutes of 2017), among other things, allowed community-based organizations to receive Service Access and Equity grant funding.

AB 1 X2 (Thurmond, Chapter 3, Statutes of 2016), among other things, authorized the Service Access and Equity grant, which allocated $11 million ongoing General Fund for DDS to assist regional centers in reducing purchase of service disparities.

AB 1472 (Committee on Budget, Chapter 25, Statutes of 2012), among other things, required DDS and regional centers to annually publish purchase of service authorization, utilization, and expenditure data by age, race/ethnicity, primary language, and disability detail.

AB 9 X4 (Evans, Chapter 9, Statutes of 2009), among other things, required DDS, in consultation with stakeholders, to identify a valid and reliable quality assurance instrument that includes assessments of consumer and family satisfaction, provision of services, and personal outcomes.

COMMENTS

Purchase of service data has become a lasting measurement of inequity in the developmental disability system. Despite data reporting and legislative efforts over the past 14 years, available data have not shown much change. In a 2023–24 budget report^[6], the Legislative Analyst’s Office suggested a possible reason is the state lacks an understanding of what is causing the disparities. Stakeholders seem to agree that purchase of service data is an imperfect measure of system outcomes. Similarly, consumer satisfaction data from the National Core Indicators survey, another longstanding measure, can only provide information about the individual, subjective experience of those surveyed and may not offer an accurate representation of system wide performance. Establishing standard definitions, processes, and requirements can be a method of ensuring a baseline for quality for all consumers of regional center services.

This bill seeks to support the state’s efforts toward individualized, person-centered outcomes. This bill would require DDS to review and assess all established and pending regional center and service provider quality, performance, and outcome measures and surveys used in California’s developmental services system. Further, this bill would require DDS to consult with a stakeholder workgroup to develop a uniform set of quality, performance, and outcome measures; a tracking mechanism to monitor these measures over time; and performance indicators and benchmarks for regional centers for defining high quality of service and basic performance. This bill would additionally require the developed measures to be incorporated into the Life Outcomes Information System.

While the state has established many initiatives and requirements to bring equity and standardization to the developmental services system, it is unclear whether these efforts have been developed to complement one another. Past criticism from stakeholders has described initiatives and workgroups as siloed, reactive, ad hoc, and opaque. This bill seeks to empower developmental services stakeholders by involving them in the development of new measures for the system and regional center performance indicators and benchmarks.

PRIOR VOTES

POSITIONS

Support:

Disability Voices United (DVU) (Sponsor)

Oppose:

None received

-- END --

1. https://www.dds.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/GovernorsBudgetHighlights_20250110.pdf ↑

2. https://www.ccln.org/PAVE-Operational-Definitions ↑

3. https://www.dds.ca.gov/rc/regional-center-performance-measures/ ↑

4. https://www.dds.ca.gov/newsletter/see-how-senate-bill-138-initiatives-are-progressing/ ↑

5. https://www.chhs.ca.gov/home/master-plan-for-developmental-services/ ↑

6. https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4683 ↑

ASSEMBLY THIRD READING

ATR Bill Id:AB 1208

Author:(Addis)

As Amended Ver:May 1, 2025

Majority vote

SUMMARY

Requires the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) to develop a uniform and comprehensive set of readily quantifiable quality, performance, and outcomes measures.

Major Provisions

1. Requires DDS, by January 1, 2027, to consult with stakeholders and appropriate subject matter experts, including academic social scientists with training in program evaluation, causal inference, and data science, via a working group, to develop both of the following:
   1. A uniform set of quality, performance, and outcomes measures that will permit performance to be measured and outcomes to be tracked at the individual, regional center, vendor, and system-wide levels.
   2. A tracking mechanism to measure, compare, and track over time, at the individual, regional center, and system-wide level, the consistency, equity, and accountability in promoting the choice, autonomy, and life quality of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families.
2. Requires DDS, by January 1, 2028, to submit a report to the Legislature that includes, but is not limited to, the data, methodology, and progress of implementation of quality, performance, and outcome measures.
3. Requires the quality, performance, and outcome measures to:
   1. Be incorporated into any new statewide information technology system that replaces the current patchwork of legacy systems so that precise operational definitions and protocols for consistent data will be available to measure performance and outcomes. The quality, performance, and outcomes measures shall be recorded on the statewide information technology system in a format that will enable differences across different groups, and trends over time, to be measured at the individual, vendor, regional center, and systemwide levels;
   2. Meet the requirements of the final federal home- and community-based settings and access rules and be grounded on evidence-based research and practices.

COMMENTS

Background: Vendorization process. Service providers must be vendored by a regional center before they can provide and be reimbursed for services. DDS and regional centers use the term "vendorization" to describe the entire approval process involved in preparing to provide services to regional center consumers. Typically, this process also often involves obtaining licenses or approvals from other state and local agencies prior to becoming a vendor, but starts at the regional center.

According to DDS, vendorization is the process for identification, selection, and utilization of service providers based on the qualifications and other requirements necessary in order to provide the services. The vendorization process allows regional centers to verify, prior to the provision of services to consumers, that an applicant meets all of the requirements and standards specified in regulations. Applicants who meet the specified requirements and standards are assigned a service code and a unique vendor identification number.

Service providers are vendored by the regional center in whose catchment area the service is located, known as the vendoring regional center. The vendoring regional center is responsible for ensuring that the applicant meets licensing and Title 17 requirements for vendorization, determining the appropriate vendor category for the service to be provided, and approving or disapproving vendorization based upon their review of the documentation submitted by the applicant. Once a potential service provider has obtained all necessary licenses, submitted a complete application and all necessary documentation to the vendoring regional center, the regional center has 45 days to approve or disapprove vendorization.

DDS Acknowledges the Value in Quality Assurance. In partnership with the Legislature and advocates, DDS is working toward identifying the best way to measure quality. The following are efforts underway:

Master Plan for Developmental Services. The Governor's 2024-25 budget proposed that DDS develop a Master Plan for Developmental Services with the intent to improve the experience of individuals and families receiving developmental services. Subsequently, the Secretary of California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS) appointed members to the Master Plan for Developmental Services Committee (a committee created by CalHHS to develop the Master Plan). These members were assigned to one of five workgroups; each workgroup developed recommendations pursuant to a specific goal for the developmental services system. In announcing the creation of a Master Plan for Developmental Services, DDS cited the need to ensure that services are more equitable, consistent, and accessible by addressing inequities and geographic disparities and improving how individuals and their families navigate the developmental services system. There are 167 total recommendations in the Master Plan. The recommendations from the report fall under six topic areas:

1. Systems Serving People with I/DD Are Centered in Equity;
2. People with I/DD Making Their Own Life Choices;
3. People with I/DD Getting Services They Need and Choose;
4. People with I/DD Being Part of and Being Served by a Strong Workforce;
5. Accountability and Transparency in All Systems That Serve People with I/DD; and,
6. Informing the Future of the Developmental Services System.

Rate Reform: Quality Incentive Program. AB 136 (Committee on Budget), Chapter 76, Statutes of 2021, outlined the Legislature's intent to support the transition of California's developmental services system from a compliance-focused approach to one that prioritizes outcomes. This shift is designed to emphasize achieving individual goals and honoring personal preferences through person-centered planning.

To support this transformation, the statute requires that payments to service providers under the rate reform be tied to consumer outcomes. Specifically, the fully funded provider rate models are structured to include two components: a base rate comprising 90% of the total rate model, and a quality incentive payment making up to 10%.

The quality incentive component, referred to as the Quality Incentive Program, of rate reform was in response to the fundamental need within the developmental services system of moving from a compliance-based system to an outcomes-based system based on meeting individual needs and person-centered.

This payment model is intended to enhance provider performance, elevate the quality of services, and ultimately improve outcomes for individuals receiving services.

Beginning on January 1, 2025, and until Jun 30, 2026, DDS has tied the quality incentive metric to a provider directory, which is an online portal that stores and displays information about service providers. As of April 10, 2025, the provider directory contains over 18,000 vendor records, 64% of which have been validated and submitted by service providers to regional centers for approval. DDS reports that over 14,500 vendors have qualified for their 10 % quality incentive via the provider registry. DDS continues to encourage service providers to review and submit their records for inclusion in the provider directory. Providers currently have until May 30, 2025, to complete the required steps in the provider directory to earn the final 10 % of their rates. After June 30, 2026, providers must meet different quality measures that include individual-level outcomes. These quality measures have not been determined. However, DDS' stopgap until 2026 is to allow one-time quality payments to be tied to:

1. Health checks in specified residential facilities.
2. Direct Support Professional workforce survey participation.
3. Competitive integrated employment placements.
4. Employment Specialist training completion.
5. Timely service delivery for early intervention services.

Quality is difficult to define and measure for the services provided to the I/DD population. Advocates, families, providers, and consumers have acknowledged that quality is an important value for the future and care of this population, but struggled to find a path forward. The one-time quality payments are largely process-driven and not outcome-driven; however, the goal is to use these as a starting point. According to the Legislative Analyst's Office, DDS has stated that findings from the Provider Directory might inform its allocation of Community Placement Plan and Community Resource Development Plan funding.

The PAVE Project. As outlined in the Senate Budget Sub Committee #3's Agenda: In 2020, the California Community Living Network, through a grant from the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities, began a project to identify service outcomes for individuals with I/DD. PAVE is working with stakeholders to create clear, consistent, and measurable service outcomes that could be used to inform service improvement, training, and value-based purchasing.

The PAVE Project will create a portal for individuals, authorized representatives, service providers, and others in the circle of support to contribute information on a person's wants, needs, and goals. PAVE, when developed, will consist of three main components: 1) a software platform with tools to support planning and monitor outcomes in a person-centered way at the individual level; 2) training for people receiving services, direct support professionals, families, and others involved in the person's circle of support, and 3) a system for evaluating the quality, accuracy, and reliability of the data gathered from the software platform, incorporating the views and lived experiences of the people using the services.

According to DDS, PAVE could help to provide information to inform the individual outcomes for the quality incentive component of the rate model, either as a standalone platform, or incorporated into the Life Outcomes Improvement System, which will modernize the current case management and financial systems.

According to the Author

"[This bill] is an overdue measure that will provide consistency and clarity to individuals, regional centers, service providers, and the state on the outcomes and effectiveness of California's Developmental Disability Services. Establishing reliable and quantifiable outcome-based measures will ensure the system's equity, consistency, and accountability in promoting the choice, autonomy, and life-quality of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families."

Arguments in Support

None on file.

Arguments in Opposition

None on file.

FISCAL COMMENTS

According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee on May 14, 2025:

1. DDS estimates total General Fund (GF) costs of approximately $1.4 million in fiscal year (FY) 2025-26, $2.4 million in FY 2026-27, and $2.7 million in FY 2027-28 and annually thereafter, for permanent staffing to fulfill the requirements of this bill. These costs include 14 positions in FY 2025-26, 16 positions in FY 2026-27, and 18 positions in FY 2027-28 and ongoing to manage the increased workload.
2. Additionally, DDS estimates a one-time consulting contract cost of $250,000 (GF) in FY 2025-26 to develop surveys necessary for capturing required data.
3. DDS notes there may be potential costs to regional centers, but these costs are indeterminate at this time.

VOTES

ASM HUMAN SERVICES: 7-0-0

YES: Lee, Castillo, Calderon, Elhawary, Jackson, Celeste Rodriguez, Tangipa

ASM APPROPRIATIONS: 14-0-1

YES: Wicks, Arambula, Calderon, Caloza, Dixon, Elhawary, Fong, Mark González, Hart, Pacheco, Pellerin, Solache, Ta, Tangipa

ABS, ABST OR NV: Sanchez

UPDATED

VERSION: May 1, 2025

CONSULTANT: Alexandria Smith / HUM. S. / (916) 319-2089 FN: 0000842

Date of Hearing: May 14, 2025

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Buffy Wicks, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 1208

Author:(Addis) – As Amended Ver:May 1, 2025

Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: No Reimbursable: No

SUMMARY:

This bill requires the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) to develop a uniform set of quality, performance, and outcomes measures to track over time, the consistency, equity, and accountability in promoting the choice, autonomy, and life quality of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Specifically, this bill:

1. Requires DDS, by July 1, 2026, to review, assess, and map all established and currently pending regional center and vendored service provider quality, performance, and outcome measures and surveys that are used or are being developed as quality, performance, and outcome measurements within the California developmental services system, as specified.
2. Requires DDS, by January 1, 2027, to consult with stakeholders and appropriate subject matter experts, as specified, via a working group, to develop both of the following:
3. A uniform set of quality, performance, and outcomes measures that will permit performance to be measured and outcomes to be tracked at the individual, regional center, vendor, and system-wide levels.
4. A tracking mechanism to measure, compare, and track over time, at the individual, regional center, and system-wide level, the consistency, equity, and accountability in promoting the choice, autonomy, and life quality of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.
5. Requires DDS , by January 1, 2028, to submit a report to the Legislature that includes, but is not limited to, the data, methodology, and progress of implementation of quality, performance, and outcome measures.
6. Requires the quality, performance, and outcome measures to:
7. Be incorporated into any new statewide information technology system that replaces the current patchwork of legacy systems, as specified.
8. Meet the requirements of the final federal home- and community-based settings and access rules and be grounded on evidence-based research and practices.

FISCAL EFFECT:

1. DDS estimates total General Fund (GF) costs of approximately $1.4 million in fiscal year (FY) 2025-26, $2.4 million in FY 2026-27, and $2.7 million in FY 2027-28 and annually thereafter, for permanent staffing to fulfill the requirements of this bill. These costs include 14 positions in FY 2025-26, 16 positions in FY 2026-27, and 18 positions in FY 2027-28 and ongoing to manage the increased workload.
2. Additionally, DDS estimates a one-time consulting contract cost of $250,000 (GF) in FY 2025-26 to develop surveys necessary for capturing required data.
3. DDS notes there may be potential costs to regional centers, but these costs are indeterminate at this time.

COMMENTS:

1. Purpose. According to the author:

[This bill] is an overdue measure that will provide consistency and clarity to individuals, regional centers, service providers, and the state on the outcomes and effectiveness of California's Developmental Disability Services. Establishing reliable and quantifiable outcome-based measures will ensure the system's equity, consistency, and accountability in promoting the choice, autonomy, and life-quality of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.

1. Background. The Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Act (Lanterman Act). The Lanterman Act provides entitlement to services and supports for individuals three years of age and older who have a qualifying developmental disability, including autism, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities, and other conditions closely related to intellectual disabilities that require similar treatment. To qualify, an individual must have a substantial disability that began before they reached 18 years of age and is expected to be lifelong. There are no income-related eligibility criteria.

Direct responsibility for implementation of the Lanterman Act’s service system is shared by DDS and a statewide network of 21 regional centers, which are private, community-based nonprofit entities, that contract with DDS to carry out many of the state’s responsibilities. The 21 regional centers serve over 450,000 individuals, referred to as “consumers,” statewide.

The author asserts California's developmental services system has an inconsistent and outdated patchwork of compliance-based measures that ineffectively quantify the efficacy of regional centers across the state; one that has focused mainly on tracking resource usage and regulatory compliance, often neglecting to assess actual outcomes for individuals.

As evidenced by the statewide Master Plan for Developmental Services and the department’s quality incentive program, there is shift at both federal and state levels toward outcomes-based measures that focus on whether systems are meeting the personalized needs of individuals. This bill aligns the developmental services system with this outcomes-based shift.

Rate Reform: Quality Incentive Program. AB 136 (Committee on Budget), Chapter 76, Statutes of 2021, outlines the Legislature’s intent to support the transition of California’s developmental services system from a compliance-focused approach to one that prioritizes outcomes. This shift is designed to emphasize achieving individual goals and honoring personal preferences through person-centered planning. To support this transformation, the statute requires that payments to service providers under the recent rate reform be tied to consumer outcomes.

Master Plan for Developmental Services. The 2024 budget act proposed DDS develop a Master Plan for Developmental Services with the intent to improve the experience of individuals and families receiving developmental services. In announcing the creation of a Master Plan, DDS cited the need to ensure that services are more equitable, consistent, and accessible by addressing inequities and geographic disparities and improving how individuals and their families navigate the developmental services system. This bill furthers the recommendations made by the Master Plan.

Analysis Prepared by: Jennifer Swenson / APPR. / (916) 319-2081

Date of Hearing: April 29, 2025

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES

Alex Lee, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 1208 (

Author:Addis) – As Amended Ver:March 24, 2025

SUBJECT: California Developmental Disability Services Quality, Performance, and Outcomes Act of 2025

SUMMARY: Requires the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) to develop a uniform and comprehensive set of readily quantifiable quality, performance, and outcomes measures. Specifically, this bill:

1. Requires DDS, notwithstanding any other law, to develop and adopt a uniform and comprehensive set of readily quantifiable quality, performance, and outcomes measures with which quality, performance, and outcomes shall be measured, compared, and tracked over time, at the individual, regional center, and systemwide levels. Requires the measures to be used to track the performance outcomes of DDS, regional centers, and vendored providers for consistency, equity, and accountability in promoting the choice, autonomy, and life-quality of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families who are served.
2. Requires DDS, before developing the quality, performance, and outcomes measures and by an undisclosed date, to comprehensively survey, review, assess, and map all established and currently pending regional center and vendored service provider quality, performance, and outcome measures and surveys that are used or are being developed for the purpose of quality, performance, and outcome measurements within the California developmental services system. Requires the measures to include, but not be limited to:
   1. Existing department processes and tools for monitoring and auditing regional centers;
   2. The performance objectives under the regional center contracts;
   3. The performance improvement indicators and benchmarks to incentivize high-quality regional center operations;
   4. The quality assessment instrument;
   5. The quality incentive program for vendored service providers;
   6. The principles of individual choice and self-determination and performance thresholds;
   7. The National Core Indicators domain surveys, and,
   8. Any other existing quality, performance, and outcome measures currently used by the department, regional centers and vendored providers to evaluate any component of program quality, performance, and outcomes.
3. Requires DDS after 2) above is complete, to consult with stakeholders and appropriate subject matter experts, including academic social scientists with training in program evaluation, causal inference and data science, via a working group, to develop recommendations regarding all of the following:
   1. Quality, performance, and outcomes measures that will permit performance to be measured and outcomes to be tracked at the individual, regional center, vendor, and systemwide levels. In formulating its recommendations, DDS must consider the recommendations of the Master Plan for Developmental Disabilities Services in California. Authorizes DDS, if appropriate, to recommend that any current measures be retained, revised, or eliminated to further the mandates contained in these provisions;
   2. Performance benchmarks for vendored service providers for establishing incentives for high-quality service delivery and for deficient performance. Requires the working group to consider the progress toward the development of the quality incentive program to improve consumer outcomes, service provider performance, and the quality of services that has been completed or is in process in making the recommendations; and,
   3. States legislative intent that performance thresholds shall be implemented in a manner that focuses on improving consumer outcomes, service provider performance, and the quality of services through incentives and corrective action. It is the further intent that any recommendations regarding actions for inadequate performance be specified with clear conditions, timelines, expectations, and responsibilities. Declares legislative intent that the primary focus is to ensure that corrective action is intended to bring vendored providers into compliance and improve consumer outcomes.
4. Requires DDS to submit a report with recommendation by an undisclosed date.
5. Requires DDS to adopt the quality, performance, and outcomes measures as soon as practicable thereafter.
6. Requires the quality, performance, and outcome measures to:
   1. Be incorporated into any new statewide information technology system that replaces the current patchwork of legacy systems so that precise operational definitions and protocols for consistent data will be available to measure performance and outcomes. The quality, performance, and outcomes measures shall be recorded on the statewide information technology system in a format that will enable differences across different groups, and trends over time, to be measured at the individual, vendor, regional center, and systemwide levels;
   2. Interface with other data sets that track the services and supports that individuals with developmental disabilities receive, or previously received, from the departments within the California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS), the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, and the California Department of Education. These datasets interfaces shall ensure that services, supports, educational attainment, labor force participation, and other outcomes, including access to non-regional center-funded community resources, including, but not limited to, CalFresh, housing assistance, health and dental services, employment supports, and In-Home Supportive Services, can be tracked over time at the individual level. They shall be stored in a secure research environment and made accessible to researchers in the form of individual-level panel datasets, in a manner and format that address concerns about individual privacy, security, and data sharing. The governance structure for the secure research environment shall include the creation of a firewall between the researchers accessing individual-level data and the people making decisions about individuals’ services.
   3. Meet the requirements of the final federal home- and community-based settings and access rules and be grounded on evidence-based research and practices.

EXISTING LAW:

1. Establishes the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act (Lanterman Act), which states that California is responsible for providing a range of services and supports sufficiently complete to meet the needs and choices of each person with developmental disabilities, regardless of age or degree of disability, and at each stage of life, and to support their integration into the mainstream life of the community. (Welfare and Institutions Code [WIC] § 4500, et seq.)
2. Establishes a system of nonprofit regional centers, overseen by DDS, to provide fixed points of contract in the community for all persons with developmental disabilities and their families, to coordinate services and supports best suited to them throughout their lifetime. (WIC § 4620)
3. Requires DDS to implement the fully funded rate model, as specified, using two payment components, a base rate equaling 90% of the rate model, and a quality incentive payment, equaling up to 10% of the rate model, to be implemented through the quality incentive program. (WIC § 4519.10(c)(1)(C))
4. Requires DDS to implement a quality incentive program in order to improve consumer outcomes, service provider performance, and the quality of services. (WIC § 4519.10(e))

FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown, this bill has not been analyzed by a fiscal committee.

COMMENTS:

Background: Vendorization process. Service providers must be vendored by a regional center before they can provide and be reimbursed for services. DDS and regional centers use the term “vendorization” to describe the entire approval process involved in preparing to provide services to regional center consumers. Typically, this process also often involves obtaining licenses or approvals from other state and local agencies prior to becoming a vendor, but starts at the regional center.

According to DDS, vendorization is the process for identification, selection, and utilization of service providers based on the qualifications and other requirements necessary in order to provide the services. The vendorization process allows regional centers to verify, prior to the provision of services to consumers, that an applicant meets all of the requirements and standards specified in regulations. Applicants who meet the specified requirements and standards are assigned a service code and a unique vendor identification number.

Service providers are vendored by the regional center in whose catchment area the service is located, known as the vendoring regional center. The vendoring regional center is responsible for ensuring that the applicant meets licensing and Title 17 requirements for vendorization, determining the appropriate vendor category for the service to be provided, and approving or disapproving vendorization based upon their review of the documentation submitted by the applicant. Once a potential service provider has obtained all necessary licenses, submitted a complete application and all necessary documentation to the vendoring regional center, the regional center has 45 days to approve or disapprove vendorization.

This bill aims to ensure all vendored providers are being evaluated for consistent quality outcomes by requiring the quality measures to track the performance outcomes of DDS, regional centers, and vendored providers for consistency, equity, and accountability in promoting the choice, autonomy, and life-quality of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families who are served.

DDS Acknowledges the Value in Quality Assurance. In partnership with the Legislature and advocates, DDS is working toward identifying the best way to measure quality. The following are efforts underway:

Master Plan for Developmental Services. The Governor’s 2024-25 budget proposed that DDS develop a Master Plan for Developmental Services with the intent to improve the experience of individuals and families receiving developmental services. Subsequently, the Secretary of CalHHS appointed members to the Master Plan for Developmental Services Committee (a committee created by CalHHS to develop the Master Plan). These members were assigned to one of five workgroups; each workgroup developed recommendations pursuant to a specific goal for the developmental services system. In announcing the creation of a Master Plan for Developmental Services, DDS cited the need to ensure that services are more equitable, consistent, and accessible by addressing inequities and geographic disparities and improving how individuals and their families navigate the developmental services system. There are 167 total recommendations in the Master Plan. The recommendations from the report fall under six topic areas:

• Systems Serving People with I/DD Are Centered in Equity;
  
• People with I/DD Making Their Own Life Choices;
  
• People with I/DD Getting Services They Need and Choose;
  
• People with I/DD Being Part of and Being Served by a Strong Workforce;
  
• Accountability and Transparency in All Systems That Serve People with I/DD; and,
  
• Informing the Future of the Developmental Services System.

Rate Reform: Quality Incentive Program. AB 136 (Committee on Budget), Chapter 76, Statutes of 2021, outlines the Legislature’s intent to support the transition of California’s developmental services system from a compliance-focused approach to one that prioritizes outcomes. This shift is designed to emphasize achieving individual goals and honoring personal preferences through person-centered planning.

To support this transformation, the statute requires that payments to service providers under the rate reform be tied to consumer outcomes. Specifically, the fully funded provider rate models are structured to include two components: a base rate comprising 90% of the total rate model, and a quality incentive payment making up to 10%.

The quality incentive component, referred to as the Quality Incentive Program, of rate reform was in response to the fundamental need within the developmental services system of moving from a compliance-based system to an outcomes-based system based on meeting individual needs and person-centered.

This payment model is intended to enhance provider performance, elevate the quality of services, and ultimately improve outcomes for individuals receiving services.

Beginning on January 1, 2025, and until Jun 30, 2026, DDS has tied the quality incentive metric to a provider directory, which is an online portal that stores and displays information about service providers. As of April 10, 2025, the provider directory contains over 18,000 vendor records, 64% of which have been validated and submitted by service providers to regional centers for approval. DDS reports that over 14,500 vendors have qualified for their 10 % quality incentive via the provider registry. DDS continues to encourage service providers to review and submit their records for inclusion in the provider directory. Providers currently have until May 30, 2025, to complete the required steps in the provider directory to earn the final 10 % of their rates. After June 30, 2026, providers must meet different quality measures that include individual-level outcomes. These quality measures have not been determined. However, DDS’ stopgap until 2026 is to allow one-time quality payments to be tied to:

• Health checks in specified residential facilities.
  
• Direct Support Professional workforce survey participation.
  
• Competitive integrated employment placements.
  
• Employment Specialist training completion.
  
• Timely service delivery for early intervention services.

Quality is difficult to define and measure for the services provided to the I/DD population. Advocates, families, providers, and consumers have acknowledged that quality is an important value for the future and care of this population, but struggled to find a path forward. The one-time quality payments are largely process-driven and not outcome-driven; however, the goal is to use these as a starting point. According to the Legislative Analyst’s Office, DDS has stated that findings from the Provider Directory might inform its allocation of Community Placement Plan and Community Resource Development Plan funding.

The PAVE Project. As outlined in the Senate Budget Sub Committee #3’s Agenda: In 2020, the California Community Living Network, through a grant from the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities, began a project to identify service outcomes for individuals with I/DD. PAVE is working with stakeholders to create clear, consistent, and measurable service outcomes that could be used to inform service improvement, training, and value-based purchasing.

The PAVE Project will create a portal for individuals, authorized representatives, service providers, and others in the circle of support to contribute information on a person’s wants, needs, and goals. PAVE, when developed, will consist of three main components: (1) a software platform with tools to support planning and monitor outcomes in a person-centered way at the individual level; (2) training for people receiving services, direct support professionals, families, and others involved in the person’s circle of support, and (3) a system for evaluating the quality, accuracy, and reliability of the data gathered from the software platform, incorporating the views and lived experiences of the people using the services.

According to DDS, PAVE could help to provide information to inform the individual outcomes for the quality incentive component of the rate model, either as a standalone platform, or incorporated into the Life Outcomes Improvement System, which will modernize the current case management and financial systems.

Author’s Statement: According to the Author, “[This bill] is an overdue measure that will provide consistency and clarity to individuals, regional centers, service providers, and the state on the outcomes and effectiveness of California's Developmental Disability Services. Establishing reliable and quantifiable outcome-based measures will ensure the system's equity, consistency, and accountability in promoting the choice, autonomy, and life-quality of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.”

Equity Implications: Individuals with I/DDs are entitled to services, yet consistently must endure lengthy wait periods to access these services. When they are finally approved for services, these individuals deserve quality providers that can serve a diverse clientele. This bill aims to provide consistency in the delivery of services to ultimately improve the daily lives of the individuals served as well as their families.

Policy Considerations: This bill aims to address the quality concerns within the I/DD system; however, there are existing efforts, as referenced above, which are not accounted for and create duplicative requirements

Should this bill move forward, the author may wish to remove the formal workgroup, and instead require DDS to consult with stakeholders when developing measures. The author may wish to strike information technology provisions to avoid duplicative efforts.

Proposed Committee Amendments: In order to address the above policy and technical considerations, the Committee proposes the author take the following amendments:

On page 4, in line 31, strike out “life-quality” and insert: life quality

On page 5, strike out lines 1 to 12, inclusive, in line 13, strike out “measures

described in subdivision (c), the” and insert: 4573. (a) The

On page 5, in line 14, strike out “comprehensively survey,”

On page 5, in line 34, strike out “comprehensive survey,”

On page 5, in line 35, strike out “____.” and insert: July 1, 2026.

On page 5, strike out lines 36 and 37, in line 38, strike out “subdivision (b), the”

and insert: (b) Notwithstanding any other law, on or before January 1, 2027, the

On page 6, in line 2, strike out “recommendations regarding all” and insert: both

On page 6, in line 3, strike out “(A) Quality,” and insert: (1) A uniform set of quality,

On page 6, strike out lines 6 to 33, inclusive, and insert:

(2) A tracking mechanism to measure, compare, and track over time, at the

individual, regional center, and systemwide level, the consistency, equity, and

accountability in promoting the choice, autonomy, and life quality of persons with

intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.

(c) (1) On or before January 1, 2028, the department shall submit a report to the

Legislature that includes, but is not limited to, the data, methodology, and progress of

implementation of quality, performance, and outcome measures.

On page 6, in line 34, strike out “(B)” and insert: (2)

On page 6, in line 34, strike out “subparagraph (A)” and insert: paragraph (1)

On page 6, in line 38, strike out “(c)” and insert: (b)

On page 7, strike out lines 8 to 26, inclusive, in line 27, strike out “(3)” and

insert: (2)

RELATED AND PRIOR LEGISLATION:

AB 136 (Committee on Budget), Chapter 76, Statues of 2021, see comments above.

REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:

Support

None on file.

Opposition

None on file.

Analysis Prepared by: Alexandria Smith / HUM. S. / (916) 319-2089