Plain English Breakdown
The official text provided is truncated at the end of section (5), leaving uncertainty about whether other requirements regarding nonprofit agencies were fully removed or modified.
Changes to Developmental Services Funding and Rules
This law changes how budgets are calculated for the Self-Determination Program, removes a monthly fee for some parents of children in out-of-home care, updates rules for service provider payments and training requirements, and adjusts definitions for group services.
What This Bill Does
- Changes the Self-Determination Program so individual budgets are generally based on authorized services instead of past spending amounts.
- Requires regional centers to certify that participant spending plans meet specific criteria before approval.
- Removes the monthly fee charged to parents of children under 18 receiving out-of-home care or living in state hospitals, regardless of family income level.
- Updates rules for quality incentive payments by requiring providers to use electronic visit verification and pass audits starting in fiscal year 2026–27.
- Moves the end date for freezing provider rates from June 30, 2026, to February 28, 2026.
- Updates definitions for group services by changing the required ratio of job coaches to consumers and lowering the minimum number of funded participants.
Who It Names or Affects
- People with developmental disabilities who use the Self-Determination Program or receive habilitation services.
- Parents of children under 18 receiving out-of-home care through regional centers or living in state hospitals.
- Service providers and agencies that deliver work activity, supported employment, or other developmental services.
- Regional Centers for Developmental Disabilities.
Terms To Know
- Self-Determination Program
- A program that gives participants a budget to choose and control their own support services within an individual plan.
- Individual Budget
- The amount of money set aside for a specific person's care plan under the Self-Determination Program.
- Hold Harmless Policy
- A rule that keeps provider payment rates frozen at their current level until they are adjusted to match regional standards.
- Habilitation Services
- Services designed to help people with developmental disabilities learn or improve life skills, such as work activities and supported employment.
Limits and Unknowns
- The law states that implicit bias training for regional centers depends on the Legislature approving money in a future budget.
- Specialized funding to help non-English-speaking individuals apply for safety payments is also subject to future legislative approval.
- The official text provided ends abruptly, so some details about removing requirements for nonprofit agencies may be incomplete.