For a companion summary sheet describing the changes in this bill, please click here.
SECTION 15.
Section 1001.20 of the Penal Code is amended to read:
1001.20
(a) “Developmental disability” means a disability as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 4512 of the Welfare and Institutions Code and for which a regional center finds eligibility for services under the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act.
(b) “Diversion-related treatment and habilitation” means, but is not limited to, specialized services or special adaptations of generic services, directed toward the alleviation of developmental disability or toward social, personal, physical, or economic habilitation or rehabilitation of an individual with a developmental disability, and includes, but is not limited to, diagnosis, evaluation, treatment, personal care, day care, domiciliary care, special living arrangements, physical, occupational, and speech therapy, training, education, sheltered employment, mental health services, recreation, counseling of the individual with this disability and of the individual’s family, protective and other social and sociolegal services, information and referral services, follow-along services, and transportation services necessary to ensure delivery of services to persons with developmental disabilities.
(c) “Regional center” means a regional center for the developmentally disabled established under the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act that is organized as a private nonprofit community agency to plan, purchase, and coordinate the delivery of services that cannot be provided by state agencies to developmentally disabled persons residing in a particular geographic catchment area, and that is licensed and funded by the State Department of Developmental Services.
(d) “Director of a regional center” means the executive director of a regional center for the developmentally disabled individual or their designee.
(e) “Agency” means the prosecutor, the probation department, and the regional center involved in a particular defendant’s case.
(f) “Dual agency diversion” means a treatment and habilitation program developed with court approval by the regional center, administered jointly by the regional center and by the probation department, that is individually tailored to the needs of the defendant as derived from the defendant’s individual program plan pursuant to Section 4646 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, and that includes, but is not limited to, treatment specifically addressed to the criminal offense charged, for a specified period of time as prescribed in Section 1001.28.
(g) “Single agency diversion” means a treatment and habilitation program developed with court approval by the regional center, administered solely by the regional center without involvement by the probation department, that is individually tailored to the needs of the defendant as derived from the defendant’s individual program plan pursuant to Section 4646 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, and that includes, but is not limited to, treatment specifically addressed to the criminal offense charged, for a specified period of time as prescribed in Section 1001.28.
(h) This section is operative January 1, 2021.
SEC. 17.
Section 1001.21 is added to the Penal Code, to read:
1001.21.
All information and records obtained in the course of providing intake, assessment, and services under Division 4.1 (commencing with Section 4400), Division 4.5 (commencing with Section 4500), Division 6
(a) This chapter shall apply whenever a case is before any court upon an accusatory pleading at any stage of the criminal proceedings, for any person who has been evaluated by a regional center and who is determined to be a person with a developmental disability by the regional center, and who therefore is eligible for its services.
(b) This chapter applies to any offense that is charged as a misdemeanor or felony offense, except that a defendant may not be placed into a diversion program, pursuant to this section, for any of the following current charged offenses:
(1) Murder or voluntary manslaughter.
(2) An offense for which a person, if convicted, would be required to register pursuant to Section 290, except for a violation of Section 314.
(3) Rape.
(4) Lewd or lascivious act on a child under 14 years of age.
(5) Assault with intent to commit rape, sodomy, or oral copulation, in violation of Section 220.
(6) Commission of rape or sexual penetration in concert with another person, in violation of Section 264.1.
(7) Continuous sexual abuse of a child, in violation of Section 288.5.
(8) A violation of subdivision (b) or (c) of Section 11418.
(c) Diversion shall not be ordered when the defendant previously has been diverted under this chapter within two years prior to the present criminal proceedings.
(d) This section is operative January 1, 2021.
SEC. 19.
Section 1001.22 is added to the Penal Code, to read:
1001.22.
The court shall consult with the prosecutor, the defense counsel, the probation department, and the appropriate regional center in order to determine whether a defendant may be diverted pursuant to this chapter. If the defendant is not represented by counsel, the court shall appoint counsel to represent the defendant. When the court suspects that a defendant may have a developmental disability, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 1001.20, and the defendant consents to the diversion process and to the case being evaluated for eligibility for regional center services, and waives their right to a speedy trial, the court shall order the prosecutor, the probation department, and the regional center to prepare reports on specified aspects of the defendant’s case. Each report shall be prepared concurrently.
(a) The regional center shall submit a report to the probation department within 25 judicial days of the court’s order. The regional center’s report shall include a determination as to whether the defendant has a developmental disability and is eligible for regional center diversion-related treatment and habilitation services, and the regional center shall also submit to the court a proposed diversion program, individually tailored to the needs of the defendant as derived from the defendant’s individual program plan pursuant to Section 4646 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, which shall include, but not be limited to, treatment addressed to the criminal offense charged for a period of time as prescribed in Section 1001.28. The regional center’s report shall also contain a statement whether the proposed program is available for the defendant through the treatment and habilitation services of the regional centers pursuant to Section 4648 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(b) The prosecutor shall submit a report on specified aspects of the defendant’s case, within 30 judicial days of the court’s order, to the court, to each of the other agencies involved in the case, and to the defendant. The prosecutor’s report shall include all of the following:
(1) A statement of whether the defendant’s record indicates the defendant’s diversion pursuant to this chapter within two years prior to the alleged commission of the charged divertible offense.
(2) If the prosecutor recommends that this chapter may be applicable to the defendant, the prosecutor shall recommend either a dual or single agency diversion program and shall advise the court, the probation department, the regional center, and the defendant, in writing, of that determination within 20 judicial days of the court’s order to prepare the report.
(3) If the prosecutor recommends against diversion, the prosecutor’s report shall include a declaration in writing to state for the record the grounds upon which the recommendation was made, and the court shall determine, pursuant to Section 1001.23, whether the defendant shall be diverted.
(4) If dual agency diversion is recommended by the prosecutor, a copy of the prosecutor’s report shall also be provided by the prosecutor to the probation department, the regional center, and the defendant within the above prescribed time period. This notification shall include all of the following:
(A) A full description of the proceedings for diversion and the prosecutor’s investigation procedures.
(B) A general explanation of the role and authority of the probation department, the prosecutor, the regional center, and the court in the diversion program process.
(C) A clear statement that the court may decide in a hearing not to divert the defendant and that the defendant may have to stand trial for the alleged offense.
(D) A clear statement that should the defendant fail in meeting the terms of the diversion, or if, during the period of diversion, the defendant is subsequently charged with a felony, the defendant may be required, after a hearing, to stand trial for the original diverted offense.
(c) The probation department shall submit a report on specified aspects of the defendant’s case within 30 judicial days of the court’s order, to the court, to each of the other agencies involved in the case, and to the defendant. The probation department’s report to the court shall be based upon an investigation by the probation department and consideration of the defendant’s age, developmental disability, employment record, educational background, ties to community agencies and family, treatment history, criminal record if any, and demonstrable motivation and other mitigating factors in determining whether the defendant is a person who would benefit from a diversion-related treatment and habilitation program. The regional center’s report in full shall be appended to the probation department’s report to the court.
(d) This section is operative January 1, 2021.
SEC. 21.
Section 1001.23 is added to the Penal Code, to read:
1001.23.
(a) Upon the court’s receipt of the reports from the prosecutor, the probation department, and the regional center, and a determination by the regional center that the defendant does not have a developmental disability, the criminal proceedings for the offense charged shall proceed. If the defendant is found to have a developmental disability and to be eligible for regional center services, and the court determines from the various reports submitted to it that the proposed diversion program is acceptable to the court, the prosecutor, the probation department, and the regional center, and if the defendant consents to diversion and waives their right to a speedy trial, the court may order, without a hearing, that the diversion program be implemented for a period of time as prescribed in Section 1001.28.
(b) After consideration of the probation department’s report, the report of the regional center, the report of the prosecutor relating to the prosecutor’s recommendation for or against diversion, the defendant’s violence and criminal history, the relationship of the developmental disability to the charged offense, and the current charged offense, and any other relevant information, and the court is satisfied that the defendant will not pose an unreasonable risk of danger to public safety, as defined in Section 1170.18, if treated in the community, the court shall determine if the defendant shall be diverted under either dual or single agency supervision, and referred for habilitation or rehabilitation diversion pursuant to this chapter. If the court does not deem the defendant a person who would benefit by diversion at the time of the hearing, the suspended criminal proceedings may be reinstituted, or any other disposition as authorized by law may be made, and diversion may be ordered at a later date.
(c) If a dual agency diversion program is ordered by the court, the regional center shall submit a report to the probation department on the defendant’s progress in the diversion program not less than every six months. Within five judicial days after receiving the regional center’s report, the probation department shall submit its report on the defendant’s progress in the diversion program, with the full report of the regional center appended, to the court and to the prosecutor. If single agency diversion is ordered by the court, the regional center alone shall report the defendant’s progress to the court and to the prosecutor not less than every six months.
(d) This section is operative January 1, 2021.
SEC. 23.
Section 1001.29 is added to the Penal Code, to read:
1001.29.
(a) If it appears that the divertee is not meeting the terms and conditions of the diversion program, the court may hold a hearing and amend the program to provide for greater supervision by the responsible regional center alone, by the probation department alone, or by both the regional center and the probation department. However, notwithstanding the modification of a diversion order, the court may hold a hearing to determine whether the diverted criminal proceedings should be reinstituted if any of the following circumstances exists:
(1) The defendant is charged with an additional misdemeanor allegedly committed during the pretrial diversion and that reflects the defendant’s propensity for violence.
(2) The defendant is charged with an additional felony allegedly committed during the pretrial diversion.
(3) The defendant is engaged in criminal conduct rendering the defendant unsuitable for diversion.
(4) The defendant’s performance in the diversion program is unsatisfactory.
(b) In cases of dual agency diversion, a hearing to reinstitute the diverted criminal proceedings may be initiated by either the court, the prosecutor, the regional center, or the probation department.
(c) In cases of single agency diversion, a hearing to reinstitute the diverted criminal proceedings may be initiated only by the court, the prosecutor, or the regional center.
(d) No hearing for either of these purposes shall be held unless the moving agency or the court has given the divertee prior notice of the hearing.
(e) Where the cause of the hearing is a subsequent charge of a felony against the divertee subsequent to the diversion order, any hearing to reinstitute the diverted criminal proceedings shall be delayed until such time as probable cause has been established in court to bind the defendant over for trial on the subsequently charged felony.
(f) This section is operative January 1, 2021.
SEC. 24.
Section 4418.7 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:
4418.7.
(a) (1) If the regional center determines, or is informed by the consumer’s parents, legal guardian, conservator, or authorized representative that the community placement of a consumer is at risk of failing, and that admittance to an acute crisis home operated by the department is a likelihood, or the regional center is notified by a court of a potential admission to an acute crisis home operated by the department, the regional center shall immediately notify the appropriate regional resource development project, the consumer, the consumer’s parents, legal guardian, or conservator, and the regional center clients’ rights advocate. For purposes of this section, “acute crisis home operated by the department” includes the acute crisis centers at Fairview Developmental Center and Sonoma Developmental Center.
(2) For purposes of this section, notification to the clients’ rights advocate for the consumer’s regional center shall include a copy of the most recent comprehensive assessment or updated assessment, and the time, date, and location of an individual program plan meeting held pursuant to subdivision (b). The regional center shall provide this notice as soon as practicable, but not less than seven calendar days prior to the meeting.
(b) In these cases, the regional resource development project shall immediately arrange for an assessment of the situation, including, visiting the consumer, if appropriate, determining barriers to successful integration, and recommending the most appropriate means necessary to assist the consumer to remain in the community. The regional center shall request assistance from the statewide specialized resource service pursuant to Section 4418.25, as necessary, in order to determine the most appropriate means necessary to assist the consumer to remain in the community and shall provide the information obtained from the statewide specialized resource service to the regional resource development project. If, based on the assessment, the regional resource development project determines that additional or different services and supports are necessary, the department shall ensure that the regional center provides those services and supports on an emergency basis. An individual program plan meeting, including the regional resource development project’s representative, shall be convened as soon as possible to review the emergency services and supports and determine the consumer’s ongoing needs for services and supports. The regional resource development project shall follow up with the regional center as to the success of the recommended interventions until the consumer’s living arrangement is stable.
(c) (1) If the regional resource development project determines, based on the assessment conducted pursuant to subdivision (b), that the consumer referred to the regional resource development project by the court cannot be safely served in an acute crisis home operated by the department, the department shall notify the court in writing.
(2) (A) If the regional resource development project, in consultation with the regional center, the consumer, and the consumer’s parents, legal guardian, or conservator, when appropriate, determines that admittance to an acute crisis home operated by the department is necessary due to an acute crisis, as defined in paragraph (1) of subdivision (d), the regional center shall immediately pursue the obtainment of a court order for short-term admission and crisis stabilization.
(B) (i) The regional resource development project, in consultation with the regional center, the consumer, and, when appropriate, the consumer’s parents, legal guardian, conservator, or authorized representative, shall not make a determination that admittance to an acute crisis home operated by the department is necessary due to an acute crisis, as defined in paragraph (1) of subdivision (d), unless the determination includes a regional center report detailing all considered community-based services and supports, including a community crisis home certified pursuant to Article 8 (commencing with Section 4698) of Chapter 6 of Division 4.5, and an explanation of why those options could not meet the consumer’s needs at the time of the determination.
(ii) For purposes of complying with clause (i), the regional center shall not be required to consider out-of-state placements or mental health facilities, including institutions for mental disease, as described in Part 5 (commencing with Section 5900) of Division 5, that are ineligible for federal Medicaid funding.
(d) (1) For purposes of this section, an “acute crisis” means a situation in which the consumer meets the criteria of Section 6500 and, as a result of the consumer’s behavior, all of the following are met:
(A) There is imminent risk for substantial harm to the consumer or others.
(B) The service and support needs of the consumer cannot be met in the community, including with supplemental services, as set forth in subparagraph (F) of paragraph (9) of subdivision (a) of Section 4648, and emergency and crisis intervention services, as set forth in paragraph (10) of subdivision (a) of Section 4648.
(C) Due to serious and potentially life-threatening conditions, the consumer requires a specialized environment for crisis stabilization.
(2) For purposes of paragraph (1), out-of-state placements or mental health facilities and other facilities, including institutions for mental disease, as described in Part 5 (commencing with Section 5900) of Division 5, for which federal Medicaid funding is not available, shall not be deemed to be supplemental services or emergency and crisis intervention services.
(e) When an admission occurs due to an acute crisis, all of the following shall apply:
(1) As soon as possible following admission to an acute crisis home operated by the department, a comprehensive assessment shall be completed by the regional center in coordination with the regional resource development project and the acute crisis service staff. The comprehensive assessment shall include the identification of the services and supports needed for crisis stabilization and the timeline for identifying or developing the services and supports needed to transition the consumer back to a noncrisis community setting. The regional center shall immediately submit a copy of the comprehensive assessment to the committing court. Immediately following the assessment, and not later than 30 days following admission, the regional center and the acute crisis home operated by the department shall jointly convene an individual program plan meeting to determine the services and supports needed for crisis stabilization and to develop a plan to transition the consumer into community living pursuant to Section 4418.3. The clients’ rights advocate for the regional center shall be notified of the admission and the individual program plan meeting and may participate in the individual program plan meeting unless the consumer objects on his or her their own behalf.
(2) If transition is not expected within 90 days of admission, an individual program plan meeting shall be held to discuss the status of transition and to determine if the consumer is still in need of crisis stabilization. If crisis services continue to be necessary, the regional center shall submit to the department an updated transition plan and a request for an extension of stay at the acute crisis home operated by the department of up to 90 days.
(3) (A) A consumer shall reside in an acute crisis home operated by the department no longer than six months before being placed into a community living arrangement pursuant to Section 4418.3, unless, prior to the end of the six months, all of the following have occurred:
(i) The regional center has conducted an additional comprehensive assessment based on information provided by the regional center, and the department determines that the consumer continues to be in an acute crisis.
(ii) The individual program planning team has developed a plan that identifies the specific services and supports necessary to transition the consumer into the community, and the plan includes a timeline to obtain or develop those services and supports.
(iii) The committing court has reviewed and, if appropriate, extended the commitment.
(B) The clients’ rights advocate for the regional center shall be notified of the proposed extension pursuant to clause (iii) of subparagraph (A) and the individual program plan meeting to consider the extension, and may participate in the individual program plan meeting unless the consumer objects on his or her their own behalf.
(C) (i) A consumer’s placement at an acute crisis home operated by the department shall not exceed one year unless both of the following occur:
(I) The regional center demonstrates significant progress toward implementing the plan specified in clause (ii) of subparagraph (A) identifying the specific services and supports necessary to transition the consumer into the community.
(II) Extraordinary circumstances exist beyond the regional center’s control that have prevented the regional center from obtaining those services and supports within the timeline based on the plan.
(ii) If both of the circumstances described in subclauses (I) and (II) of clause (i) exist, the regional center may request, and the committing court may grant, an additional extension of the commitment, not to exceed 30 days.
(D) Consumers placed in the community after admission to an acute crisis home operated by the department pursuant to this section shall be considered to have moved from a developmental center for purposes of Section 4640.6.
(f) The department shall collect data on the outcomes of efforts to assist at-risk consumers to remain in the community. The department shall make aggregate data on the implementation of the requirements of this section available, upon request.
(g) Commencing January 1, 2015, admissions to an acute crisis home operated by the department pursuant to a court order for an acute crisis, as described in this section, shall be limited to the acute crisis center at the Fairview Developmental Center, the acute crisis center at the Sonoma Developmental Center, or another acute crisis home operated by the department.
(h) The acute crisis center at the Fairview Developmental Center and the acute crisis center at the Sonoma Developmental Center shall each consist of one unit that is distinct from other residential units at the developmental center and shall each serve no more than five consumers. Crisis center residents may participate in day, work, and recreation programs, and other developmental center facility activities, outside of the acute crisis unit, when the individual program plan identifies it is appropriate and consistent with the individual’s treatment plan. The acute crisis centers shall assist the consumer with transitioning back to his or her their prior residence, or an alternative community-based residential setting, within the timeframe described in this section.
(i) The department may execute leases, lease-purchases, or leases with the option to purchase for real property necessary for the establishment or maintenance of Stabilization, Training, Assistance and Reintegration (STAR) homes to serve as acute crisis homes operated by the department.
SEC. 25.
Section 4646.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:
4646.5.
(a) The planning process for the individual program plan described in Section 4646 shall include all of the following:
(1) Gathering information and conducting assessments to determine the life goals, capabilities and strengths, preferences, barriers, and concerns or problems of the person with developmental disabilities. For children with developmental disabilities, this process should include a review of the strengths, preferences, and needs of the child and the family unit as a whole. Assessments shall be conducted by qualified individuals and performed in natural environments whenever possible. Information shall be taken from the consumer, his or her the consumer’s parents and other family members, his or her the consumer’s friends, advocates, authorized representative, if applicable, providers of services and supports, and other agencies. The assessment process shall reflect awareness of, and sensitivity to, the lifestyle and cultural background of the consumer and the family.
(2) A statement of goals, based on the needs, preferences, and life choices of the individual with developmental disabilities, and a statement of specific, time-limited objectives for implementing the person’s goals and addressing his or her the person’s needs. These objectives shall be stated in terms that allow measurement of progress or monitoring of service delivery. These goals and objectives should maximize opportunities for the consumer to develop relationships, be part of community life in the areas of community participation, housing, work, school, and leisure, increase control over his or her the consumer’s life, acquire increasingly positive roles in community life, and develop competencies to help accomplish these goals.
(3) When In developing individual program plans for children, regional centers shall be guided by the principles, process, and services and support parameters set forth in Section 4685.
(4) When In developing an individual program plan for a transition age youth or working age adult, the planning team shall consider the Employment First Policy described in Chapter 14 (commencing with Section 4868).
(5) A schedule of the type and amount of services and supports to be purchased by the regional center or obtained from generic agencies or other resources in order to achieve the individual program plan goals and objectives, and identification of the provider or providers of service responsible for attaining each objective, including, but not limited to, vendors, contracted providers, generic service agencies, and natural supports. The individual program plan shall specify the approximate scheduled start date for services and supports and shall contain timelines for actions necessary to begin services and supports, including generic services. In addition to the requirements of subdivision (h) of Section 4646, each regional center shall offer, and upon request provide, a written copy of the individual program plan to the consumer, and, when appropriate, his or her if appropriate, the consumer’s parents, legal guardian or conservator, or authorized representative within 45 days of their request in a threshold language, as defined by paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 1810.410 of Title 9 of the California Code of Regulations.
(6) When If agreed to by the consumer, the parents, legally appointed guardian, or authorized representative of a minor consumer, or the legally appointed conservator of an adult consumer or the authorized representative, including those appointed pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 4541, subdivision (b) of Section 4701.6, and subdivision (e) of Section 4705, a review of the general health status of the adult or child, including medical, dental, and mental health needs, shall be conducted. This review shall include a discussion of current medications, any observed side effects, and the date of the last review of the medication. Service providers shall cooperate with the planning team to provide any information necessary to complete the health status review. If any concerns are noted during the review, referrals shall be made to regional center clinicians or to the consumer’s physician, as appropriate. Documentation of health status and referrals shall be made in the consumer’s record by the service coordinator.
(7) (A) The development of a transportation access plan for a consumer when all of the following conditions are met:
(i) The regional center is purchasing private, specialized transportation services or services from a residential, day, or other provider, excluding vouchered service providers, to transport the consumer to and from day or work services.
(ii) The planning team has determined that a consumer’s community integration and participation could be safe and enhanced through the use of public transportation services.
(iii) The planning team has determined that generic transportation services are available and accessible.
(B) To maximize independence and community integration and participation, the transportation access plan shall identify the services and supports necessary to assist the consumer in accessing public transportation and shall comply with Section 4648.35. These services and supports may include, but are not limited to, mobility training services and the use of transportation aides. Regional centers are encouraged to coordinate with local public transportation agencies.
(8) A schedule of regular periodic review and reevaluation to ascertain that planned services have been provided, that objectives have been fulfilled within the times specified, and that consumers and families are satisfied with the individual program plan and its implementation.
(b) For all active cases, individual program plans shall be reviewed and modified by the planning team, through the process described in Section 4646, as necessary, in response to the person’s achievement or changing needs, and no less often than once every three years. If the consumer or, where if appropriate, the consumer’s parents, legal guardian, authorized representative, or conservator requests an individual program plan review, the individual program plan shall be reviewed within 30 days after the request is submitted. submitted, or no later than 7 days after the request is submitted if necessary for the consumer’s health and safety or to maintain the consumer in their home.
(c) (1) The department, with the participation of representatives of a statewide consumer organization, the Association of Regional Center Agencies, an organized labor organization representing service coordination staff, and the state council shall prepare training material and a standard format and instructions for the preparation of individual program plans, which embody an approach centered on the person and family.
(2) Each regional center shall use the training materials and format prepared by the department pursuant to paragraph (1). (3) The department shall biennially review a random sample of individual program plans at each regional center to ensure that these plans are being developed and modified in compliance with Section 4646 and this section.
SEC. 26.
Section 4684.81 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:
4684.81.
(a) The department shall implement a pilot project using use community placement plan funds, as appropriated in the State Department of Developmental Services’ annual budget, to test the effectiveness of providing develop enhanced behavioral supports in homelike community settings. The enhanced behavioral supports homes shall be for purposes of providing intensive behavioral services and supports to adults and children with developmental disabilities who need intensive services and supports due to challenging behaviors that cannot be managed in a community setting without the availability of enhanced behavioral services and supports, and who are at risk of institutionalization or out-of-state placement, or are transitioning to the community from a developmental center, other state-operated residential facility, institution for mental disease, or out-of-state placement.
(b) An enhanced behavioral supports home may only be established in an adult residential facility or a group home approved through a regional center community placement plan pursuant to Section 4418.25.
(c) Enhanced behavioral supports homes may be approved by the State Department of Developmental Services each fiscal year in which the pilot program is in effect and to the extent funding is available for this purpose, each for no more than four individuals with developmental disabilities. The homes shall be located throughout the state, as determined by the State Department of Developmental Services, based on regional center requests.
(d) Each enhanced behavioral supports home shall be licensed as an adult residential facility or a group home pursuant to the California Community Care Facilities Act (Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 1500) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code) and certified by the State Department of Developmental Services, shall exceed the minimum requirements for a Residential Facility Service Level 4-i pursuant to Sections 56004 and 56013 of Subchapter 4 of Chapter 3 of Division 2 of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations, and shall meet all applicable statutory and regulatory requirements applicable to a facility licensed as an adult residential facility or a group home for facility licensing, seclusion, and restraint, including Division 1.5 (commencing with Section 1180) of the Health and Safety Code, and the use of behavior modification interventions, subject to any additional requirements applicable to enhanced behavioral supports homes established by statute or by regulation promulgated pursuant to this article and Article 9.5 (commencing with Section 1567.61) of Chapter 3 of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code.
(e) A regional center shall not place a consumer in an enhanced behavioral supports home unless the program is certified by the State Department of Developmental Services and the facility is licensed by the State Department of Social Services.
(f) The State Department of Developmental Services shall be responsible for granting the certificate of program approval for an enhanced behavioral supports home.
(g) The State Department of Developmental Services may, pursuant to Section 4684.85, decertify any enhanced behavioral supports home that does not comply with program requirements. Upon decertification of an enhanced behavioral supports home, the State Department of Developmental Services shall report the decertification to the State Department of Social Services. The State Department of Social Services shall revoke the license of the enhanced behavioral supports home that has been decertified pursuant to Section 1550 of the Health and Safety Code.
(h) If the State Department of Developmental Services determines that urgent action is necessary to protect a consumer residing in an enhanced behavioral supports home from physical or mental abuse, abandonment, or any other substantial threat to the consumer’s health and safety, the State Department of Developmental Services may request that the regional center or centers remove the consumer from the enhanced behavioral supports home or direct the regional center or centers to obtain alternative or additional services for the consumers within 24 hours of that determination. When possible, an individual program plan (IPP) meeting shall be convened to determine the appropriate action pursuant to this section. In any case, an IPP meeting shall be convened within 30 days following an action pursuant to this section.
(i) Enhanced behavioral supports homes shall have a facility program plan approved by the State Department of Developmental Services.
(1) No later than December 1, 2017, the department shall develop guidelines regarding the use of restraint or containment in enhanced behavioral supports homes, which shall be maintained in the facility program plan and plan of operation. In the development of these guidelines, the department shall consult with both of following:
(A) The appropriate professionals regarding the use of restraint or containment in enhanced behavioral supports homes.
(B) The protection and advocacy agency described in subdivision (i) of Section 4900 regarding appropriate safeguards for the protection of clients’ rights.
(2) The requirements of paragraph (1) shall not apply to enhanced behavioral supports homes that are certified and licensed prior to January 1, 2018, or prior to the adoption of the guidelines required in paragraph (1), whichever is sooner. However, these homes shall meet the requirements of paragraph (1) no later than 30 days following adoption of the guidelines.
(3) An enhanced behavioral supports home shall include in its facility program plan a description of how it will ensure physical restraint or containment will not be used as an extended procedure in accordance with this section, subdivision (h) of Section 1180.4 of the Health and Safety Code, and any other applicable law or regulation.
(4) The facility program plan approved by the State Department of Developmental Services shall be submitted to the State Department of Social Services for inclusion in the facility plan of operation.
(5) The vendoring regional center and each consumer’s regional center shall have joint responsibility for monitoring and evaluating the services provided in the enhanced behavioral supports home. Monitoring shall include at least quarterly, or more frequently if specified in the consumer’s individual program plan, face-to-face, onsite case management visits with each consumer by his or her the consumer’s regional center and at least quarterly quality assurance visits by the vendoring regional center. The State Department of Developmental Services shall monitor and ensure the regional centers’ compliance with their monitoring responsibilities.
(j) The State Department of Developmental Services shall establish by regulation a rate methodology for enhanced behavioral supports homes that includes a fixed facility component for residential services and an individualized services and supports component based on each consumer’s needs as determined through the individual program plan process, which may include assistance with transitioning to a less restrictive community residential setting.
(k) (1) The established facility rate for a full month of service, as defined in regulations adopted pursuant to this article, shall be paid based on the licensed capacity of the facility once the facility reaches maximum capacity, despite the temporary absence of one or more consumers from the facility or subsequent temporary vacancies created by consumers moving from the facility. Prior to the facility reaching licensed capacity, the facility rate shall be prorated based on the number of consumers residing in the facility.
When a consumer is temporarily absent from the facility, including when a consumer is in need for inpatient care in a health facility, as defined in subdivision (a), (b), or (c) of Section 1250 of the Health and Safety Code, the regional center may, based on consumer need, continue to fund individual services, in addition to paying the facility rate. Individual consumer services funded by the regional center during a consumer’s absence from the facility shall be approved by the regional center director and shall only be approved in 14-day increments. The regional center shall maintain documentation of the need for these services and the regional center director’s approval. (2) An enhanced behavioral supports home using delayed egress devices, in compliance with Section 1531.1 of the Health and Safety Code, may utilize secured perimeters, in compliance with Section 1531.15 of the Health and Safety Code and applicable regulations. No more than two11 enhanced behavioral supports homes using delayed egress devices in combination with secured perimeters may be certified by the State Department of Developmental Services during the first year of the pilot program, one in northern California and one in southern California, and no more than one additional home using delayed egress devices in combination with a secured perimeter may be certified by the State Department of Developmental Services in each subsequent year of the pilot program. No more than six enhanced behavioral supports homes that use delayed egress devices in combination with a secured perimeter shall be certified during the pilot program. certified. Enhanced behavioral supports homes shall not be counted for purposes of the statewide limit established in regulations on the total number of beds permitted in homes with delayed egress devices in combination with secured perimeters pursuant to subdivision (k) of Section 1531.15 of the Health and Safety Code. The department shall make reasonable efforts to include enhanced behavioral supports homes within the statewide limit.
SEC. 27.
Section 4684.82 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:
4684.82.
The vendoring regional center shall, before placing any consumer into an enhanced behavioral supports home, ensure that the home has a license issued by the State Department of Social Services for not more than four individuals with developmental disabilities, is certified by the State Department of Developmental Services, and has a contract with the regional center that meets the contracting requirements established by the State Department of Developmental Services through regulations promulgated pursuant to this article. Under no circumstances shall the contract extend beyond the stated termination date, which shall not be longer than January 1, 2021.
SEC. 28.
Section 4684.87 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed.
4684.87.
This article shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2021, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2021, deletes or extends that date.
SEC. 29.
Section 4685.8 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:
4685.8.
(a) The department shall implement a statewide Self-Determination Program. The Self-Determination Program shall be available in every regional center catchment area to provide participants and their families, within an individual budget, increased flexibility and choice, and greater control over decisions, resources, and needed and desired services and supports to implement their IPP. The statewide Self-Determination Program shall be phased in over three years, and during this phase-in period, shall serve up to 2,500 regional center consumers, inclusive of the remaining participants in the self-determination pilot projects authorized pursuant to Section 13 of Chapter 1043 of the Statutes of 1998, as amended, and Article 4 (commencing with Section 4669.2) of Chapter 5. Following the phase-in period, the program shall be available on a voluntary basis to all regional center consumers, including residents in developmental centers who are moving to the community, who are eligible for the Self-Determination Program. The program shall be available to individuals who reflect the disability, ethnic, and geographic diversity of the state. The Department of Finance may approve, upon a request from the department and no sooner than 30 days following notification to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, an increase to the number of consumers served by the Self-Determination Program before the end of the three-year phase-in period.
(b) The department, in establishing the statewide program, shall do both of the following:
(1) For the first three years of the Self-Determination Program, determine, as part of the contracting process described in Sections 4620 and 4629, the number of participants each regional center shall serve in its Self-Determination Program. To ensure that the program is available on an equitable basis to participants in all regional center catchment areas, the number of Self-Determination Program participants in each regional center shall be based on the relative percentage of total consumers served by the regional centers minus any remaining participants in the self-determination pilot projects authorized pursuant to Section 13 of Chapter 1043 of the Statutes of 1998, as amended, and Article 4 (commencing with Section 4669.2) of Chapter 5 or another equitable basis.
(2) Ensure all of the following:
(A) Oversight of expenditure of self-determined funds and the achievement of participant outcomes over time.
(B) Increased participant control over which services and supports best meet his or her the participant’s needs and the IPP objectives. A participant’s unique support system may include the purchase of existing service offerings from service providers or local businesses, hiring his or her their own support workers, or negotiating unique service arrangements with local community resources.
(C) Comprehensive person-centered planning, including an individual budget and services that are outcome based.
(D) Consumer and family training to ensure understanding of the principles of self-determination, the planning process, and the management of budgets, services, and staff.
(E) Choice of independent facilitators who can assist with the person-centered planning process and choice of financial management services providers vendored by regional centers who can assist with payments and provide employee-related services.
(F) Innovation that will more effectively allow participants to achieve their goals.
(c) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
(1) “Financial management services” means services or functions that assist the participant to manage and direct the distribution of funds contained in the individual budget, and ensure that the participant has the financial resources to implement his or her their IPP throughout the year. These may include bill paying services and activities that facilitate the employment of service and support workers by the participant, including, but not limited to, fiscal accounting, tax withholding, compliance with relevant state and federal employment laws, assisting the participant in verifying provider qualifications, including criminal background checks, and expenditure reports. The financial management services provider shall meet the requirements of Sections 58884, 58886, and 58887 of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations and other specific qualifications established by the department. The costs of financial management services shall be paid by the participant out of his or her the participant’s individual budget, except for the cost of obtaining the criminal background check specified in subdivision (w).
(2) “Independent facilitator” means a person, selected and directed by the participant, who is not otherwise providing services to the participant pursuant to his or her their IPP and is not employed by a person providing services to the participant. The independent facilitator may assist the participant in making informed decisions about the individual budget, and in locating, accessing, and coordinating services and supports consistent with the participant’s IPP. He or she The independent facilitator is available to assist in identifying immediate and long-term needs, developing options to meet those needs, leading, participating, or advocating on behalf of the participant in the person-centered planning process and development of the IPP, and obtaining identified services and supports. The cost of the independent facilitator, if any, shall be paid by the participant out of his or her the participant’s individual budget. An independent facilitator shall receive training in the principles of self-determination, the person-centered planning process, and the other responsibilities described in this paragraph at his or her the independent facilitator’s own cost.
(3) “Individual budget” means the amount of regional center purchase of service funding available to the participant for the purchase of services and supports necessary to implement the IPP. The individual budget shall be determined using a fair, equitable, and transparent methodology.
(4) “IPP” means individual program plan, as described in Section 4646.
(5) “Participant” means an individual, and when appropriate, his or her the participant’s parents, legal guardian or conservator, or authorized representative, who has been deemed eligible for, and has voluntarily agreed to participate in, the Self-Determination Program.
(6) “Self-determination” means a voluntary delivery system consisting of a defined and comprehensive mix of services and supports, selected and directed by a participant through person-centered planning, in order to meet the objectives in his or her their IPP. Self-determination services and supports are designed to assist the participant to achieve personally defined outcomes in community settings that promote inclusion. The Self-Determination Program shall only fund services and supports provided pursuant to this division that the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services determines are eligible for federal financial participation.
(d) Participation in the Self-Determination Program is fully voluntary. A participant may choose to participate in, and may choose to leave, the Self-Determination Program at any time. A regional center shall not require or prohibit participation in the Self-Determination Program as a condition of eligibility for, or the delivery of, services and supports otherwise available under this division. Participation in the Self-Determination Program shall be available to any regional center consumer who meets the following eligibility requirements:
(1) The participant has a developmental disability, as defined in Section 4512, and is receiving services pursuant to this division.
(2) The consumer does not live in a licensed long-term health care facility, as defined in paragraph (44) of subdivision (a) of Section 54302 of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations. An individual, and when appropriate his or her the individual’s parent, legal guardian or conservator, or authorized representative, who is not eligible to participate in the Self-Determination Program pursuant to this paragraph may request that the regional center provide person-centered planning services in order to make arrangements for transition to the Self-Determination Program, provided that he or she the individual is reasonably expected to transition to the community within 90 days. In that case, the regional center shall initiate person-centered planning services within 60 days of that request.
(3) The participant agrees to all of the following terms and conditions:
(A) The participant shall receive an orientation to the Self-Determination Program prior to enrollment, which includes the principles of self-determination, the role of the independent facilitator and the financial management services provider, person-centered planning, and development of a budget.
(B) The participant shall utilize the services and supports available within the Self-Determination Program only when generic services and supports are not available.
(C) The participant shall only purchase services and supports necessary to implement his or her their IPP and shall comply with any and all other terms and conditions for participation in the Self-Determination Program described in this section.
(D) The participant shall manage Self-Determination Program services and supports within his or her the participant’s individual budget.
(E) The participant shall utilize the services of a financial management services provider of his or her their own choosing and who is vendored by a regional center.
(F) The participant may utilize the services of an independent facilitator of his or her their own choosing for the purpose of providing services and functions as described in paragraph (2) of subdivision (c). If the participant elects not to use an independent facilitator, he or she the participant may use his or her their regional center service coordinator to provide the services and functions described in paragraph (2) of subdivision (c).
(e) A participant who is not Medi-Cal eligible may participate in the Self-Determination Program and receive self-determination services and supports if all other program eligibility requirements are met and the services and supports are otherwise eligible for federal financial participation.
(f) An individual receiving services and supports under a self-determination pilot project authorized pursuant to Section 13 of Chapter 1043 of the Statutes of 1998, as amended, or pursuant to Article 4 (commencing with Section 4669.2) of Chapter 5, may elect to continue to receive self-determination services and supports pursuant to this section or the regional center shall provide for the participant’s transition from the self-determination pilot program to other services and supports. This transition shall include the development of a new IPP that reflects the services and supports necessary to meet the individual’s needs. The regional center shall ensure that there is no gap in services and supports during the transition period.
(g) The additional federal financial participation funds generated by the former participants of the self-determination pilot projects authorized pursuant to Section 13 of Chapter 1043 of the Statutes of 1998, as amended, or pursuant to Article 4 (commencing with Section 4669.2) of Chapter 5, shall be used to maximize the ability of Self-Determination Program participants to direct their own lives and to ensure the department and regional centers successfully implement the program as follows:
(1) First, to offset the cost to the department for the criminal background check conducted pursuant to subdivision (w) and other administrative costs incurred by the department in implementing the Self-Determination Program.
(2) With the remaining funds, the department, in consultation with stakeholders, including a statewide self-determination advisory workgroup, shall prioritize the use of the funds to meet the needs of participants and to implement the program, including costs associated with all of the following:
(A) Independent facilitators to assist with a participant’s initial person-centered planning meeting.
(B) Development of the participant’s initial individual budget.
(C) Joint training of consumers, family members, regional center staff, and members of the local volunteer advisory committee established pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (x).
(D) Regional center operations for caseload ratio enhancement.
(E) To offset the costs to the regional centers in implementing the Self-Determination Program.
(h) If at any time during participation in the Self-Determination Program a regional center determines that a participant is no longer eligible to continue in, or a participant voluntarily chooses to exit, the Self-Determination Program, the regional center shall provide for the participant’s transition from the Self-Determination Program to other services and supports. This transition shall include the development of a new IPP that reflects the services and supports necessary to meet the individual’s needs. The regional center shall ensure that there is no gap in services and supports during the transition period.
(i) An individual determined to be ineligible for or who voluntarily exits the Self-Determination Program shall be permitted to return to the Self-Determination Program upon meeting all applicable eligibility criteria and upon approval of the participant’s planning team, as described in subdivision (j) of Section 4512. An individual who has voluntarily exited the Self-Determination Program shall not return to the program for at least 12 months. During the first three years of the program, the individual’s right to return to the program is conditioned on his or her the regional center not having reached the participant cap imposed by paragraph (1) of subdivision (b).
(j) An individual who participates in the Self-Determination Program may elect to continue to receive self-determination services and supports if he or she the individual transfers to another regional center catchment area, provided that he or she the individual remains eligible for the Self-Determination Program pursuant to subdivision (d). The balance of the participant’s individual budget shall be reallocated to the regional center to which he or she the participant transfers.
(k) The IPP team shall utilize the person-centered planning process to develop the IPP for a participant. The IPP shall detail the goals and objectives of the participant that are to be met through the purchase of participant-selected services and supports. The IPP team shall determine the individual budget to ensure the budget assists the participant to achieve the outcomes set forth in his or her the participant’s IPP and ensures his or her their health and safety. The completed individual budget shall be attached to the IPP.
(l) The participant shall implement his or her their IPP, including choosing and purchasing the services and supports allowable under this section necessary to implement the plan. A participant is exempt from the cost control restrictions regarding the purchases of services and supports pursuant to Section 4648.5. A regional center shall not prohibit the purchase of any service or support that is otherwise allowable under this section.
(m) A participant shall have all the rights established in Sections 4646 to 4646.6, inclusive, and Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 4700).
(n) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (4), the IPP team shall determine the initial and any revised individual budget for the participant using the following methodology:
(A) (i) Except as specified in clause (ii), for a participant who is a current consumer of the regional center, his or her their individual budget shall be the total amount of the most recently available 12 months of purchase of service expenditures for the participant.
(ii) An adjustment may be made to the amount specified in clause (i) if both of the following occur:
(I) The IPP team determines that an adjustment to this amount is necessary due to a change in the participant’s circumstances, needs, or resources that would result in an increase or decrease in purchase of service expenditures, or the IPP team identifies prior needs or resources that were unaddressed in the IPP, which would have resulted in an increase or decrease in purchase of service expenditures.
(II) The regional center certifies on the individual budget document that regional center expenditures for the individual budget, including any adjustment, would have occurred regardless of the individual’s participation in the Self-Determination Program.
(iii) For purposes of clauses (i) and (ii), the amount of the individual budget shall not be increased to cover the cost of the independent facilitator or the financial management services.
(B) For a participant who is either newly eligible for regional center services or who does not have 12 months of purchase service expenditures, his or her the participant’s individual budget shall be calculated as follows:
(i) The IPP team shall identify the services and supports needed by the participant and available resources, as required by Section 4646.
(ii) The regional center shall calculate the cost of providing the services and supports to be purchased by the regional center by using the average cost paid by the regional center for each service or support unless the regional center determines that the consumer has a unique need that requires a higher or lower cost. The regional center shall certify on the individual budget document that this amount would have been expended using regional center purchase of service funds regardless of the individual’s participation in the Self-Determination Program.
(iii) For purposes of clauses (i) and (ii), the amount of the individual budget shall not be increased to cover the cost of the independent facilitator or the financial management services.
(2) The amount of the individual budget shall be available to the participant each year for the purchase of program services and supports. An individual budget shall be calculated no more than once in a 12-month period, unless revised to reflect a change in circumstances, needs, or resources of the participant using the process specified in clause (ii) of subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1).
(3) The individual budget shall be assigned to uniform budget categories developed by the department in consultation with stakeholders and distributed according to the timing of the anticipated expenditures in the IPP and in a manner that ensures that the participant has the financial resources to implement his or her the IPP throughout the year.
(4) The department, in consultation with stakeholders, may develop alternative methodologies for individual budgets that are computed in a fair, transparent, and equitable manner and are based on consumer characteristics and needs, and that include a method for adjusting individual budgets to address a participant’s change in circumstances or needs.
(o) Annually, participants may transfer up to 10 percent of the funds originally distributed to any budget category set forth in paragraph (3) of subdivision (n) to another budget category or categories. Transfers in excess of 10 percent of the original amount allocated to any budget category may be made upon the approval of the regional center or the participant’s IPP team.
(p) Consistent with the implementation date of the IPP, the IPP team shall annually ascertain from the participant whether there are any circumstances or needs that require a change to the annual individual budget. Based on that review, the IPP team shall calculate a new individual budget consistent with the methodology identified in subdivision (n).
(q) (1) On or before December 31, 2014, the department shall apply for federal Medicaid funding for the Self-Determination Program by doing one or more of the following:
(A) Applying for a state plan amendment.
(B) Applying for an amendment to a current home- and community-based waiver for individuals with developmental disabilities.
(C) Applying for a new waiver.
(D) Seeking to maximize federal financial participation through other means.
(2) To the extent feasible, the state plan amendment, waiver, or other federal request described in paragraph (1) shall incorporate the eligibility requirements, benefits, and operational requirements set forth in this section. Except for the provisions of subdivisions (k), (m), (p), and this subdivision, the department may modify eligibility requirements, benefits, and operational requirements as needed to secure approval of federal funding.
(3) Contingent upon approval of federal funding, the Self-Determination Program shall be established.
(r) (1) The department, as it determines necessary, may adopt regulations to implement the procedures set forth in this section. Any regulations shall be adopted in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) and Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, and only to the extent that all necessary federal approvals are obtained, the department, without taking any further regulatory action, shall implement, interpret, or make specific this section by means of program directives or similar instructions until the time regulations are adopted. It is the intent of the Legislature that the department be allowed this temporary authority as necessary to implement program changes only until completion of the regulatory process.
(s) The department, in consultation with stakeholders, shall develop informational materials about the Self-Determination Program. The department shall ensure that regional centers are trained in the principles of self-determination, the mechanics of the Self-Determination Program, and the rights of consumers and families as candidates for, and participants in, the Self-Determination Program.
(t) Each regional center shall be responsible for implementing the Self-Determination Program as a term of its contract under Section 4629. As part of implementing the program, the regional center shall do both of the following:
(1) Contract with local consumer or family-run organizations and consult with the local volunteer advisory committee established pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (x) to conduct outreach through local meetings or forums to consumers and their families to provide information about the Self-Determination Program and to help ensure that the program is available to a diverse group of participants, with special outreach to underserved communities.
(2) Collaborate with the local consumer or family-run organizations identified in paragraph (1) to jointly conduct training about the Self-Determination Program. The regional center shall consult with the local volunteer advisory committee established pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (x) in planning for the training, and the local volunteer advisory committee may designate members to represent the advisory committee at the training.
(u) The financial management services provider shall provide the participant and the regional center service coordinator with a monthly individual budget statement that describes the amount of funds allocated by budget category, the amount spent in the previous 30-day period, and the amount of funding that remains available under the participant’s individual budget.
(v) Only the financial management services provider is required to apply for vendorization in accordance with Subchapter 2 (commencing with Section 54300) of Chapter 3 of Division 2 of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations for the Self-Determination Program. All other service and support providers shall not be on the federal debarment list and shall have applicable state licenses, certifications, or other state required documentation, including documentation of any other qualifications required by the department, but are exempt from the vendorization requirements set forth in Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations when serving participants in the Self-Determination Program.
(w) To protect the health and safety of participants in the Self-Determination Program, the department shall require a criminal background check in accordance with all of the following:
(1) The department shall issue a program directive that identifies nonvendored providers of services and supports who shall obtain a criminal background check pursuant to this subdivision. At a minimum, these staff shall include both of the following:
(A) Individuals who provide direct personal care services to a participant.
(B) Other nonvendored providers of services and supports for whom a criminal background check is requested by a participant or the participant’s financial management service.
(2) Subject to the procedures and requirements of this subdivision, the department shall administer criminal background checks consistent with the department’s authority and the process described in Sections 4689.2 to 4689.6, inclusive.
(3) The department shall electronically submit to the Department of Justice fingerprint images and related information required by the Department of Justice of nonvendored providers of services and supports, as specified in paragraph (1), for purposes of obtaining information as to the existence and content of a record of state or federal convictions and state or federal arrests and also information as to the existence and content of a record of state or federal arrests for which the Department of Justice establishes that the person is free on bail or on his or her their own recognizance pending trial or appeal.
(4) When received, the Department of Justice shall forward to the Federal Bureau of Investigation requests for federal summary criminal history information received pursuant to this section. The Department of Justice shall review the information returned from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and compile and disseminate a response to the department.
(5) The Department of Justice shall provide a state or federal response to the department pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (p) of Section 11105 of the Penal Code.
(6) The department shall request from the Department of Justice subsequent notification service, as provided pursuant to Section 11105.2 of the Penal Code, for persons described in paragraph (1).
(7) The Department of Justice shall charge a fee sufficient to cover the cost of processing the request described in this subdivision.
(8) The fingerprints of any provider of services and supports who is required to obtain a criminal background check shall be submitted to the Department of Justice prior to employment. The costs of the fingerprints and the financial management service’s administrative cost authorized by the department shall be paid by the services and supports provider or his or her the provider’s employing agency. Any administrative costs incurred by the department pursuant to this subdivision shall be offset by the funds specified in subdivision (g).
(9) If the criminal record information report shows a criminal history, the department shall take the steps specified in Section 4689.2. The department may prohibit a provider of services and supports from becoming employed, or continuing to be employed, based on the criminal background check, as authorized in Section 4689.6. The provider of services and supports who has been denied employment shall have the rights set forth in Section 4689.6.
(10) The department may utilize a current department-issued criminal record clearance to enable a provider to serve more than one participant, as long as the criminal record clearance has been processed through the department and no subsequent arrest notifications have been received relative to the cleared applicant.
(11) Consistent with subdivision (h) of Section 4689.2, the participant or financial management service that denies or terminates employment based on written notification from the department shall not incur civil liability or unemployment insurance liability.
(x) To ensure the effective implementation of the Self-Determination Program and facilitate the sharing of best practices and training materials commencing with the implementation of the Self-Determination Program, local and statewide advisory committees shall be established as follows:
(1) Each regional center shall establish a local volunteer advisory committee to provide oversight of the Self-Determination Program. The regional center and the State Council on Developmental Disabilities shall each appoint one-half of the membership of the committee. The committee shall consist of the regional center clients’ rights advocate, consumers, family members, and other advocates, and community leaders. A majority of the committee shall be consumers and their family members. The committee shall reflect the multicultural diversity and geographic profile of the catchment area. The committee shall review the development and ongoing progress of the Self-Determination Program, including whether the program advances the principles of self-determination and is operating consistent with the requirements of this section, and may make ongoing recommendations for improvement to the regional center and the department.
(2) The State Council on Developmental Disabilities shall form a volunteer committee, to be known as the Statewide Self-Determination Advisory Committee, comprised of the chairs of the 21 local advisory committees or their designees. The council shall convene the Statewide Self-Determination Advisory Committee twice annually, or more frequently in the sole discretion of the council. The Statewide Self-Determination Advisory Committee shall meet by teleconference or other means established by the council to identify self-determination best practices, effective consumer and family training materials, implementation concerns, systemic issues, ways to enhance the program, and recommendations regarding the most effective method for participants to learn of individuals who are available to provide services and supports. The council shall synthesize information received from the Statewide Self-Determination Advisory Committee, local advisory committees, and other sources, share the information with consumers, families, regional centers, and the department, and make recommendations, as appropriate, to increase the program’s effectiveness in furthering the principles of self-determination.
(y) Commencing January 10, 2017, the The department shall annually provide the following information to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature:
(1) Number and characteristics of participants, by regional center, including the number of participants who entered the program upon movement from a developmental center.
(2) Types and amount of services and supports purchased under the Self-Determination Program, by regional center.
(3) Range and average of individual budgets, by regional center, including adjustments to the budget to address the adjustments permitted in clause (ii) of subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (n).
(4) The number and outcome of appeals concerning individual budgets, by regional center.
(5) The number and outcome of fair hearing appeals, by regional center.
(6) The number of participants who voluntarily withdraw from the Self-Determination Program and a summary of the reasons why, by regional center.
(7) The number of participants who are subsequently determined to no longer be eligible for the Self-Determination Program and a summary of the reasons why, by regional center.
(z) (1) The State Council on Developmental Disabilities shall issue an interim report to the Legislature, in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code, no later than June 30, 2021, on the status of the Self-Determination Program authorized by this section, barriers to its implementation, and recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of the program. The interim report shall provide an update to the program’s status, each regional center’s cap on participation and progress toward that cap, the most recent statewide and per-regional-center participant count, and the historical trend in the statewide participation count since the start of the program. The department shall assist in providing available information to the council in order to facilitate the timely issuance of the report.
(z) (2) (1) The State Council on Developmental Disabilities, council, in collaboration with the protection and advocacy agency identified in Section 4900 and the federally funded University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service, may work with regional centers to survey participants regarding participant satisfaction under the Self-Determination Program and, when data is available, the traditional service delivery system, including the proportion of participants who report that their choices and decisions are respected and supported and who report that they are able to recruit and hire qualified service providers, and to identify barriers to participation and recommendations for improvement.
(2) (3) The council, in collaboration with the protection and advocacy agency identified in Section 4900 and the federally funded University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service, shall issue a report to the Legislature, in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code, no later than three years following the approval of the federal funding by December 31, 2022, on the status of the Self-Determination Program authorized by this section, and provide recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of the program. This review shall include the program’s effectiveness in furthering the principles of self-determination, including all of the following:
(A) Freedom, which includes the ability of adults with developmental disabilities to exercise the same rights as all citizens to establish, with freely chosen supporters, family and friends, where they want to live, with whom they want to live, how their time will be occupied, and who supports them; and for families to have the freedom to receive unbiased assistance of their own choosing when developing a plan and to select all personnel and supports to further the life goals of a minor child.
(B) Authority, which includes the ability of a person with a disability, or family, to control a certain sum of dollars in order to purchase services and supports of their choosing.
(C) Support, which includes the ability to arrange resources and personnel, both formal and informal, that will assist a person with a disability to live a life in his or her the community that is rich in community participation and contributions.
(D) Responsibility, which includes the ability of participants to take responsibility for decisions in their own lives and to be accountable for the use of public dollars, and to accept a valued role in their community through, for example, competitive employment, organizational affiliations, spiritual development, and general caring of others in their community. (E) Confirmation, which includes confirmation of the critical role of participants and their families in making decisions in their own lives and designing and operating the system that they rely on.
SEC. 30.
Section 4691.12 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:
4691.12.
(a) (1) Notwithstanding any other law or regulation, to the extent funds are appropriated in the annual Budget Act for this purpose, and contingent upon the approval of federal funding, the department shall provide a rate increase effective January 1, 2020, for all of the following services:
(A) Specified services for which rates are set by the department or through negotiations between the regional centers and service providers.
(B) Rates paid for supported employment services, as specified in subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 4860.
(C) Vouchered community-based services, as specified in paragraph (7) of subdivision (c) of Section 4688.21.
(2) The rate increase shall be applied to rates in effect on December 31, 2019, less the amount of any one-time rate increases for developmental services, as authorized in Chapter the Budget Act of 2018 (Chapter 29 of the Statutes of 2018. 2018). The rate increase shall be applied as a percentage, and this percentage shall be the same for all providers within each service category, as established by the department and set forth in the supplemental rate increase schedule posted on the department’s internet website.
(3) The rate increase provided in this subdivision shall not apply to those services for which rates are determined by other entities, including, but not limited to, the State Department of Health Care Services or the State Department of Social Services, or are usual and customary.
(b) (1) Notwithstanding any other law or regulation, to the extent funds are appropriated in the annual Budget Act for this purpose, and contingent upon the approval of federal funding, the department shall provide a rate increase effective January 1, 2021, for all of the following services:
(A) Independent living programs that use the service code identified in paragraph (35) of subdivision (a) of Section 54342 of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations.
(B) Infant development programs that use the service code identified in paragraph (37) of subdivision (a) of Section 54342 of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations.
(C) Early start specialized therapeutic services provided by vendors classified by a regional center as early start specialized therapeutic services providers pursuant to Section 54356 of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations.
(2) The rate increase shall be applied to rates in effect on December 31, 2020. The rate increase shall be applied as a percentage, and this percentage shall be the same for all providers within each service category, as established by the department and set forth in the rate increase schedule posted on the department’s internet website.
(b) (c) (1) The implementation of these provisions the increases authorized in subdivisions (a) and (b) shall be suspended on December 31, 2021, unless paragraph (2) applies.
(2) If, in the determination of the Department of Finance, the estimates of General Fund revenues and expenditures determined pursuant to Section 12.5 of Article IV of the California Constitution that accompany the May Revision, which is required to be released by May 14, 2021, pursuant to Section 13308 of the Government Code, contain projected annual General Fund revenues that exceed projected annual General Fund expenditures in the 2021–22 and 2022–23 fiscal years by the sum total of General Fund moneys appropriated for all programs subject to suspension on December 31, 2021, pursuant to the Budget Act of 2019 and the bills providing for appropriations related to the Budget Act of 2019 within the meaning of subdivision (e) of Section 12 of Article IV of the California Constitution, then the implementation of this section shall not be suspended pursuant to paragraph (1). (3) If paragraph (1) applies, it is the intent of the Legislature to consider alternative solutions to facilitate the continued implementation of the restore the rate increases described in subdivision (a).subdivisions (a) and (b).
SEC. 31.
Section 7502.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:
7502.5.
(a) An individual may be admitted to the secure treatment facility at Porterville Developmental Center, as provided in paragraphs (1) and (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 7505, only when all of the following conditions are satisfied:
(1) The unit to which the individual will be admitted is approved for occupancy and licensed.
(2) The Until June 30, 2023, the population of the secure treatment facility is no more than 231 persons. On and after July 1, 2023, the population of the secure treatment facility is no more than 211 persons.
(3) The individual is at least 18 years of age.
(4) The regional center notifies the regional resource development project identified in Section 4418.7, the regional center clients’ rights advocate, the individual, or the individual’s legal guardian or conservator, as appropriate, of a potential admission pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 7505.
(5) The regional resource development project completes an assessment of the individual’s services and supports needs, including by visiting the consumer, if appropriate. The assessment shall include consideration of placement options and other necessary services and supports, if any, that could meet the individual’s needs in the community.
(b) An individual may be admitted to the transitional treatment program at Porterville Developmental Center when all of the following conditions are satisfied:
(1) The individual was admitted to Porterville Developmental Center pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 7505.
(2) The individual remains eligible for commitment pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 7505.
(3) The unit to which the individual will be admitted is approved for occupancy and licensed.
(4) The population of the transitional treatment program is no more than 60 persons.
(c) As soon as possible, but no later than 30 days following admission to the transitional treatment program, the regional center, in coordination with the developmental center, shall do both of the following:
(1) Complete a comprehensive assessment that shall include the identification of services and supports needed to transition the individual to the community.
(2) Jointly convene an individual program plan meeting to discuss the comprehensive assessment and develop a plan to transition the individual to the community pursuant to Section 4418.3. The transition plan shall be based upon the individual’s needs, developed through the individual program plan process, and shall ensure that needed services and supports will be in place at the time the individual moves. Individual supports and services shall include, when appropriate for the individual, wrap-around services through intensive individualized support services. The transition shall be to a community living arrangement that is in the least restrictive environment appropriate to the needs of the individual and most protective of the individual’s rights to dignity, freedom, and choice choice, as described in subdivision (a) of Section 4648. The clients’ rights advocate for the regional center shall be notified of the individual program plan meeting and may participate in the meeting unless the consumer objects on his or her their own behalf.
(d) An individual described in this section shall not be placed in the transitional treatment program for longer than necessary to procure a less restrictive placement. Each year, pursuant to Section 4418.25, an individual in the transitional treatment program at Porterville Developmental Center shall receive an updated comprehensive assessment that shall include all of the following:
(1) The reason or reasons for placement in the program for longer than one year.
(2) A description of the issue or issues preventing community placement.
(3) The estimated timeframe for placement in the community and the plan for that placement.
(e) On or before March 1, 2016, and March Before March 1 of each year thereafter, year, the department shall provide the following information to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature:
(1) For each regional center, the number of transitional program residents who are placed in the program for more than one year.
(2) A description of reasons for placement in the program beyond one year.
(3) The steps undertaken to resolve the issue or issues prohibiting community placement.
(4) The additional steps necessary before community placement can be made.
(f) (1) Prior to issuing a request for proposal for a contract to provide the intensive transitional services for individuals residing in the secure treatment program at Porterville Developmental Center, the department shall consult with the appropriate professionals to develop the parameters for the services to be provided in the contract. The department shall also consult with the protection and advocacy agency described in subdivision (i) of Section 4900 regarding appropriate safeguards for the protection of clients’ rights. The department shall ensure that the services are not punitive, are protective of the individual’s rights to dignity, freedom, and choice, and are tailored to the needs of the individual and developed through a person-centered planning process and whether the transition and placement are adequate for the protection and safety of others from the dangers posed by the individual’s known behaviors and for the welfare of the individual. The department shall further ensure that the regional center clients’ rights advocate receives notice of each individual program plan meeting in which the intensive transitional supports are discussed and a copy of any assessment regarding the individual’s intensive support needs, and shall ensure that if the individual disagrees with the proposed intensive transitional supports, he or she the individual may request a fair hearing pursuant to Section 4710.5. (2) By December 31, 2018, the department shall promulgate emergency regulations in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code) regarding the intensive transitional services for individuals residing in the secure treatment program at Porterville Developmental Center. The adoption of these regulations shall be deemed to be an emergency and necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, or general welfare.