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AB-617 • 2026

Developmental services: personal care or assistance and in-home respite services.

Developmental services: personal care or assistance and in-home respite services.

Crime Education Labor
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
McKinnor
Last action
2026-02-02
Official status
From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not provide specific details on the licensing process or funding.

Developmental Services: Personal Care and Respite Services

This law requires organizations providing personal care or assistance services and in-home respite services for people with developmental disabilities to be licensed, and it expands the No Wrong Door System to help seniors and individuals with disabilities access long-term support services.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires organizations that provide personal care or assistance services and in-home respite services for people with developmental disabilities to get a license from the State Department of Social Services before providing these services.
  • Requires workers at these licensed organizations to be listed on the home care aide registry maintained by the State Department of Social Services before they can work.
  • Expands the No Wrong Door System to serve seniors and individuals with disabilities, requiring it to establish a statewide respite referral registry by December 31, 2027.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People with developmental disabilities and their caregivers
  • Organizations that provide personal care or assistance services and in-home respite services
  • Seniors and individuals with disabilities seeking long-term support services

Terms To Know

No Wrong Door System
A system designed to help seniors and people with disabilities find information about long-term care services easily, no matter which agency or organization they contact.
Home Care Aide Registry
A list of workers who provide home care services and are registered by the State Department of Social Services.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how organizations will be licensed or what the process for listing workers on the registry will look like.
  • It is unclear how much funding will be provided to implement these changes.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-02 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.

  2. 2026-01-31 California Legislative Information

    Died pursuant to Art. IV, Sec. 10(c) of the Constitution.

  3. 2025-05-23 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Held under submission.

  4. 2025-05-14 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.

  5. 2025-04-30 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 1.) (April 29). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  6. 2025-04-10 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on HUM. S. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96.

  7. 2025-03-24 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on AGING & L.T.C.

  8. 2025-03-20 California Legislative Information

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on AGING & L.T.C. Read second time and amended.

  9. 2025-03-03 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on AGING & L.T.C.

  10. 2025-02-14 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 16.

  11. 2025-02-13 California Legislative Information

    Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 617, as amended, McKinnor.
Aging and Disability Resource Connection program: No Wrong Door System.
Developmental services: personal care or assistance and in-home respite services.
Existing law, the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act (Lanterman Act), requires the State Department of Developmental Services to contract with regional centers to provide services and supports to individuals with developmental disabilities through various programs, including personal care or personal assistance services and in-home respite services. Existing law requires the Director of Developmental Services to develop program standards for in-home respite services purchased by regional centers from agencies vendored to provide these services.
Existing law establishes the Home Care Services Consumer Protection Act, which provides for the licensure and regulation of home care organizations by the State Department of Social Services, and for the
registration of home care aides who provide home care services, as defined, on the home care aide registry. Existing law exempts from these provisions an organization vendored or contracted through a regional center or the State Department of Developmental Services pursuant to the Lanterman Act to provide services and supports for persons with developmental disabilities, as specified. A violation of the act is a misdemeanor.
This bill would require, prior to providing personal care or personal assistance services or in-home respite services to a consumer receiving services under the Lanterman Act, an organization vendored or contracted through a regional center or the department to provide personal care or personal assistance services or in-home respite services to a consumer receiving services under the Lanterman Act to be licensed as a home care organization, and an individual who is employed by such an organization to be listed on the home care aide registry, as
specified. By expanding the scope of an existing crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Existing law establishes an Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) program, administered by the California Department of Aging, to provide information to consumers and their families on available long-term services and supports (LTSS) programs and to assist older adults, caregivers, and persons with disabilities in accessing LTSS programs at the local level. Existing law requires the California Department of Aging to administer the ADRC Infrastructure Grants Program for the purpose of implementing a No Wrong Door System, a system that enables consumers to access all LTSS through one agency, organization, coordinated network, or portal. Existing law states the intent of the Legislature that the No Wrong Door System serve seniors and individuals with disabilities by, among other things, providing consumers and their caregivers access to information and services. Existing law also
establishes the Aging and Disability Resource Connection Advisory Committee, within the California Department of Aging, as the primary adviser in the implementation of the No Wrong Door System, and authorizes the committee to use the staff of the California Department of Aging to accomplish its purposes.
This bill would instead require the committee to use the staff of the California Department of Aging. The bill would also instead require the No Wrong Door System to serve seniors and individuals with disabilities, as specified, and would require, no later than December 31, 2027, the system to also establish a statewide respite referral registry to connect consumers enrolled in the Medi-Cal program with culturally competent, prescreened respite providers, and create and implement a consumer-directed employer program to assist in the provision of the statewide respite referral system.

Current Bill Text

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