BILL NUMBER: AB 1231	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  SEPTEMBER 5, 2013
	AMENDED IN SENATE  JUNE 27, 2013
	AMENDED IN SENATE  JUNE 17, 2013
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 7, 2013
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 24, 2013
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 21, 2013

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member V. Manuel Pérez

                        FEBRUARY 22, 2013

   An act to add and repeal Section 4686.21 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code, relating to regional center services.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1231, as amended, V. Manuel Pérez. Regional centers:
telehealth.
   The Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act authorizes
the State Department of Developmental Services to contract with
regional centers to provide services and support to individuals with
developmental disabilities, including autism.
   This bill would, until January 1, 2019, require the department to
inform all regional centers that any appropriate health service and
dentistry may be provided through the use of telehealth, as defined,
to consumers of regional center services. The bill would require the
department to provide technical assistance to regional centers on the
use of telehealth and to request those centers  to include a
consideration of telehealth in individual program plans and
individualized family services plans, as specified, for consumers and
 to consider the use of telehealth services for inclusion
in training programs for parents of consumers.
   The bill would require that the provision of a service through the
use of telehealth be voluntary and immediately discontinued at the
request of the consumer or his or her parent, legal guardian, or
conservator, as appropriate.  The bill would require the
department, on or before December 1, 2017, to forward to the fiscal
and appropriate policy committees of the Legislature information
provided by the regional centers to assess the effectiveness and
appropriateness of providing telehealth services to regional center
consumers, as specified. 
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  It is the intent of the Legislature to do all of the
following:
   (a) Improve access to treatments and intervention services,
including dental health care services, for consumers of regional
center services and their families in underserved populations.
   (b) Provide more cost-effective treatments and intervention
services for consumers of regional center services and their
families.
   (c) Maximize the effectiveness of the interpersonal and
face-to-face interactions that are utilized for the treatment of
consumers of regional center services.
   (d) Continue maintenance and support of the existing service
workforce for consumers of regional center services.
   (e) Utilize telehealth to improve services for consumers of
regional center services.
  SEC. 2.  Section 4686.21 is added to the Welfare and Institutions
Code, to read:
   4686.21.  (a) The department shall do all of the following:
   (1) Inform all regional centers that any appropriate health 
care  service may be provided through the use of telehealth to
consumers of regional center services.
   (2) Inform all regional centers that dentistry may be provided
through the use of telehealth to consumers. 
   (3) Request regional centers to include a consideration of
telehealth in each individual program plan (IPP) and individualized
family service plan (IFSP) for consumers.  
   (4) 
    (   3)  Request regional centers to consider
the use of telehealth services for inclusion in training programs for
parents of consumers, including, but not limited to, group training
programs as described in clause (i) of subparagraph (B) of paragraph
(3) of subdivision (c) of Section 4685. 
   (5) 
    (4)  Provide, using existing resources, and in
partnership with other organizations, resources, and stakeholders,
technical assistance to regional centers regarding the use of
telehealth to meet the health and dental care needs of consumers.
   (b) The department may implement appropriate vendorization
subcodes for services provided through telehealth.
   (c) The provision of a service through the use of telehealth shall
be voluntary and shall be immediately discontinued at the request of
the consumer or, as appropriate, the consumer's parent, legal
guardian, or conservator. Any consumer who receives services through
the use of telehealth pursuant to this section shall have an
automatic right to immediately return to his or her preexisting
services, as defined by the consumer's  IPP,  
individual program plan,  that were in place prior to the
implementation of the telehealth service. 
   (d) On or before December 1, 2017, the department shall forward to
the fiscal and appropriate policy committees of the Legislature any
information provided by the regional centers to the department to
assess the effectiveness and appropriateness of providing telehealth
services to consumers through the IPP and IFSP processes. 

   (e) 
    (d)  A provider of telehealth services shall be
responsible for all expenses and costs related to the equipment,
transmission, storage, infrastructure, and other expenses related to
telehealth. 
   (f) 
    (e)  For purposes of this section, the following
definitions shall apply:
   (1) "Department" means the State Department of Developmental
Services.
   (2) "Telehealth" has the same meaning as set forth in Section
2290.5 of the Business and Professions Code. 
   (g) 
    (f)  This section shall remain in effect only until
January 1, 2019, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later
enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2019, deletes or
extends that date.