BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 1687 Page 1 ASSEMBLY THIRD READING AB 1687 (Conway) As Amended March 26, 2014 Majority vote HUMAN SERVICES 6-0 ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Ayes:|Stone, Maienschein, | | | | |Ammiano, | | | | |Ian Calderon, Garcia, | | | | |Grove | | | |-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------| | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY : Establishes the Persons with Developmental Disabilities Bill of Rights and adds to the list of rights provided in current statute. Specifically, this bill : 1)Renames the list of rights granted to persons with developmental disabilities included in Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) Section 4502 the Persons with Developmental Disabilities Bill of Rights. 2)Adds to the list of rights granted to persons with developmental disabilities the right to a prompt investigation of any alleged abuse against them. EXISTING LAW : 1)Establishes an entitlement to services for individuals with developmental disabilities under the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act (Lanterman Act). (WIC Section 4500 et seq.) 2)Grants all individuals with developmental disabilities, among all other rights and responsibilities established for any individual by the United States Constitution and laws and the California Constitution and laws, the right to treatment and habilitation services and supports in the least restrictive environment and the right to be free from harm, including unnecessary physical restraint or isolation, excessive medication, abuse, or neglect. (WIC Section 4502) AB 1687 Page 2 3)Prohibits discrimination against individuals in protected classes, including national origin and ethnic group identification, for purposes of providing full and equal access to benefits or programs that are operated or funded by the state. (Government Code (GOV) Section 11135 et seq.) 4)Designates as a mandated reporter of abuse any person with responsibility for care or custody of an elder or dependent adult and requires that mandated reporter to report the known or suspected incident of abuse immediately or as soon as practicably possible, as specified. (WIC Section 15630) 5)Defines "dependent adult" as any person who is between the ages of 18 and 64, who has physical or mental limitations which restrict his or her ability to carry out normal activities or to protect his or her rights, including, but not limited to, persons who have physical or developmental disabilities or whose physical or mental abilities have diminished because of age, and also includes in the definition any person between the ages of 18 and 64 who is admitted as an inpatient to a 24-hour health facility. (Penal Code (PC) Section 368(h)) 6)Provides that local and state law enforcement agencies shall have concurrent jurisdiction to investigate elder and dependent adult abuse and all other crimes against elder victims and victims with disabilities, and provides that adult protective services agencies and long-term care ombudsman programs also have jurisdiction to investigate elder and dependent abuse and criminal neglect, to the extent permitted by law, except that law enforcement agencies shall retain exclusive responsibility for criminal investigations. (PC Section 368.5) 7)Establishes minimum standards for the examination and treatment of victims of sexual assault, including notification of law enforcement and a requirement that consent be provided by the victim prior to a physical examination, as specified. (PC Section 13823.11) 8)Requires an updated continuing education Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) course that relates to law enforcement interaction with people with mental disabilities to be available to law enforcement agencies in California. AB 1687 Page 3 (PC Section 13515.25(a)) 9)Defines protection and advocacy agency as the private, nonprofit corporation designated by the Governor, pursuant to federal law, for the protection and advocacy of the rights of persons with disabilities, including people with developmental disabilities and people with mental illness, as specified. (WIC Section 4900(i)) FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown. This bill is keyed non-fiscal by the Legislative Counsel. COMMENTS : This bill is one of three introduced by the author intended to address crimes committed against people with developmental disabilities. This bill adds to an established list of rights for people with developmental disabilities the right to a prompt investigation of any alleged abuse against them. Background : The Lanterman Act (WIC Section 4500 et seq.) guides the provision of services and supports for Californians with developmental disabilities. Each individual under the Act, typically referred to as a "consumer," is legally entitled to treatment and habilitation services and supports in the least restrictive environment. Lanterman Act services are designed to enable all consumers to live more independent and productive lives in the community. The term "developmental disability" means a disability that originates before an individual attains 18 years of age, is expected to continue indefinitely, and constitutes a substantial disability for that individual. It includes intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Other developmental disabilities are those disabling conditions similar to an intellectual disability that require treatment (i.e., care and management) similar to that required by individuals with an intellectual disability. This does not include conditions that are solely psychiatric or physical in nature, and the conditions must occur before age 18, result in a substantial disability, be likely to continue indefinitely, and involve brain damage or dysfunction. Examples of conditions might include intracranial neoplasms, degenerative brain disease or brain damage associated with accidents. AB 1687 Page 4 Direct responsibility for implementation of the Lanterman Act service system is shared by the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) and 21 regional centers, which are private nonprofit entities, established pursuant to the Lanterman Act, that contract with DDS to carry out many of the state's responsibilities under the Act. The principal roles of regional centers include intake and assessment, individualized program plan development, case management, and securing services through generic agencies or purchasing services provided by vendors. Regional centers also share primary responsibility with local education agencies for provision of early intervention services under the California Early Intervention Services Act. The 21 regional centers throughout the state serve over 260,000 consumers who receive services such as residential placements, supported living services, respite care, transportation, day treatment programs, work support programs, and various social and therapeutic activities. Approximately 1,300 consumers reside at one of California's four Developmental Centers-and one state-operated, specialized community facility-which provide 24-hour habilitation and medical and social treatment services. Current rights of people with developmental disabilities: In addition to having the same legal rights and responsibilities guaranteed to any other individual in the U.S. Constitution or the California Constitution, Section 4502 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, which this bill amends, provides a more explicit list of rights that the Legislature intends to uphold for individuals with developmental disabilities. These are: 1)A right to treatment and habilitation services and supports in the least restrictive environment; 2)A right to dignity, privacy, and humane care. To the maximum extent possible, treatment, services, and supports shall be provided in natural community settings; 3)A right to participate in an appropriate program of publicly supported education, regardless of degree of disability; 4)A right to prompt medical care and treatment; 5)A right to religious freedom and practice; AB 1687 Page 5 6)A right to social interaction and participation in community activities; 7)A right to physical exercise and recreational opportunities; 8)A right to be free from harm, including unnecessary physical restraint, or isolation, excessive medication, abuse, or neglect; 9)A right to be free from hazardous procedures; and 10)A right to make choices in their own lives, including, but not limited to, where and with whom they live, their relationships with people in their community, the way they spend their time, including education, employment, and leisure, the pursuit of their personal future, and program planning and implementation. While these rights should be readily granted, without question, to any person, the often substandard and inappropriate treatment of people with developmental disabilities that led to development of the Lanterman Act and other major changes in law to protect individuals with disabilities prompted the Legislature's development of this explicit list of rights. Investigations of abuse: While most people without disabilities must contact local law enforcement to report an alleged crime committed against them, a complaint of alleged abuse against a person with a disability, even if he or she does not have a developmental disability, can be made to a number of local and statewide enforcement agencies. Among the agencies that respond to and investigate such complaints are local law enforcement, the Long Term Care Ombudsman, Adult Protective Services, Child Protective Services, the California Department of Social Services and the Department of Public Health, with some variation in applicability of the latter few based on the individual's residence type and age. The Office of Protective Services (OPS) is the primary agency responsible for investigating abuse in the state's developmental centers for persons with developmental disabilities. Additionally, the state's protection and advocacy organization has an investigations unit, which also looks into allegations of abuse and neglect involving people with disabilities and can provide AB 1687 Page 6 key information to enforcement agencies that facilitate additional actions to help the victims. Need for the bill: In expressing the need for this bill, Disability Rights California, the state's mandated protection and advocacy agency, states, "People with disabilities are more likely to be the victims of abuse and neglect. Yet, allegations of crimes against them receive lower priority and are investigated more slowly than crimes against their non-disabled peers, with some investigations never being finished or taking months or years to conclude." The majority of laws and regulations pertaining to the abuse of children, or dependent or elder adults, focus on requirements for certain individuals or entities to report allegations of abuse within a specified amount of time but often do not address the timeline for an investigation of such a report. This bill seeks to ensure that prompt investigations of alleged abuse against individuals with developmental disabilities are part of the process that follows the required reports of alleged abuse. There is no opposition on file. Analysis Prepared by : Myesha Jackson / HUM. S. / (916) 319-2089 FN: 0003139