BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó




                   Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
                           Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair

                                          SB 764 (Steinberg)
          
          Hearing Date: 01/19/2012        Amended: 01/12/2012
          Consultant: Brendan McCarthy    Policy Vote: Human Services 4-0
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          BILL SUMMARY: SB 764 requires the Department of Developmental 
          Services to establish a program to provide certain services to 
          clients with autism spectrum disorders through telehealth 
          systems.
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                            Fiscal Impact (in thousands)

           Major Provisions         2012-13      2013-14       2014-15     Fund
           
          Increased utilization of          Unknown potential costsGeneral
             Regional Center services

          Cost savings from usingUnknown potential savings        General
             telehealth systems

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          ____

          STAFF COMMENTS: SUSPENSE FILE. 

          Under current law, the Department of Developmental Services 
          contracts with non-profit Regional Centers to provide treatment 
          and rehabilitation services to clients with developmental 
          disabilities. 

          Applied Behavior Analysis and Intensive Behavior Intervention 
          are services that the Regional Centers are authorized to provide 
          to clients with autism spectrum disorders, provided the provider 
          of those services uses evidenced based practices and the 
          services assist clients with learning and social interactions.

          SB 764 requires the Department to establish a program, under 
          which providers authorized by the Regional Centers to provide 
          Applied Behavior Analysis and Intensive Behavior Intervention 
          services to Regional Center clients (referred to as "vendorized" 
          providers) could do so using telehealth systems. Providing these 








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          services through telehealth systems would be subject to approval 
          by a Regional Center. A Regional Center would be authorized to 
          purchase these services if the provider can demonstrate that the 
          services would be beneficial to the client.

          By authorizing a new way to use authorized services, it is 
          possible the bill will increase the demand for these services by 
          Regional Center clients. The extent to which this will occur is 
          unknown, as the Department of Developmental Services has limited 
          experience with telehealth programs. On the other hand, the use 
          of telehealth services may reduce overall costs, by allowing a 
          more efficient way for providers and Regional Centers to serve 
          clients.