BILL ANALYSIS AB 2129 Page 1 CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS AB 2129 (Bass) As Amended August 2, 2010 Majority vote ----------------------------------------------------------------- |ASSEMBLY: |74-0 |(April 22, |SENATE: |26-7 |(August 18, | | | |2010) | | |2010) | ----------------------------------------------------------------- Original Committee Reference: HUM. S. SUMMARY : Extends to July 1, 2014, the deadline for the Department of Social Services (DSS) to develop a plan to transform the current statewide system of group homes into a system of residentially based services, and provides that voluntary agreements between counties and private nonprofit agencies to test alternative program design and funding models for transforming individual group home programs into residentially based services programs must terminate on or before January 1, 2015. The Senate amendments : 1)Extend the date by which DSS is to develop the plan to transform the current statewide system of group homes into a system of residentially based services from January 1, 2014, to July 1, 2014. 2)Require any upfront costs for the project to be offset by other program savings identified by DSS to ensure that there are no net General Fund costs in each fiscal year, and clarify that the authority to make higher Aid to Families with Dependent Children-Foster Care (AFDC-FC) payments for children and youth enrolled in a residentially based services program is not affected by changes made to payments to group homes under current law. 3)Require DSS to conduct a review of the county residentially based services program no sooner than 18 months after the first child is enrolled in the program, to determine whether children are moving from residentially based services group residential care facilities into lower levels of care or exiting from foster care to permanent families in a timely manner, as described in the county's approved residentially AB 2129 Page 2 based services plan. 4)Allow DSS to terminate the county's participation in the residentially based services reform project with 60 days advance notice to the county if DSS determines, based on its review, that the county is not achieving timely movement into lower levels of care, or exits from foster care to permanent families with associated savings. 5)Authorize DSS to fund authorized child welfare activities through the Child Welfare Services Program Improvement Fund by means of grants from the fund, rather than by contract, and authorize DSS to renew grants for authorized activities that exceed three years if the grant is reviewed annually and the grantee is found to be satisfactorily meet the grant objectives. AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this bill extended to January 1, 2014, the deadline for DSS to develop a plan to transform the current statewide system of group homes into a system of residentially based services, and provided that voluntary agreements between counties and private nonprofit agencies to test alternative program design and funding models for transforming individual group home programs into residentially based services programs may not exceed five years from January 1, 2010. FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations Committee: 1)Likely minor costs associated with extending the workgroup deadline. 2)Costs of up to $185,000 in 2010-11 for extending the pilots, and potentially significant costs in 2011-12 and 2012-13, with potentially long term offsetting savings from pilot projects after the first year of implementation. COMMENTS : AB 1453 (Soto), Chapter 466, Statutes of 2007, adds the provisions directing DSS to convene a workgroup to develop a plan to transform the current statewide system of group homes into a system of residentially based services and, in the interim, permit some counties to enter into voluntary agreements with private nonprofit agencies to transform individual group home programs. In enacting AB 1453, the Legislature found that AB 2129 Page 3 "[t]here is general dissatisfaction with how foster care group homes are currently used in California's child welfare, juvenile justice, and mental health systems. This concern is shared by the state, county placing agencies, the courts, group home providers, children's advocates, and, most importantly, by foster youth and their families." This bill extends DSS's deadline for developing the plan and time limits related to the voluntary agreements between counties and nonprofit agencies for transforming the current statewide system of group homes into a system of residentially based services. The Senate amendments specify additional funding and review requirements related to voluntary residentially based service reform projects implemented under the plan. The Senate amendments also provide additional means of funding authorized child welfare activities using the Child Welfare Services Program Improvement Fund, and allow certain grants to be renewed. Analysis Prepared by : Eric Gelber / HUM. S. / (916) 319-2089 FN: 0006001