BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  SB 137
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   July 3, 2013

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                SB 137 (Emmerson) - As Introduced:  January 28, 2013 

          Policy Committee:                             Human  
          ServicesVote:7 - 0 

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires regional centers (RC) under contract with the  
          Department of Developmental Services (DDS) to make specific  
          information available on their websites. Specifically, this bill  
          requires the posting of the following information: 

          1)Actual rates paid to each vendor.

          2)Any public funds provided to a nonprofit housing organization  
            outside of the regular request for proposal process.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          1)One-time GF costs between $100,000 and $200,000 for DDS to  
            adopt implementing regulations. 

          2)One-time GF costs likely in excess of $200,000 for 21 Regional  
            Centers (RCs), combined, to gather and report the information  
            required, particularly the actual rates paid to vendors.  
            On-going GF costs in the between $25,000 and $50,000 to  
            maintain and update the required information. 

            This bill establishes statewide requirements on the 21 RCs,  
            which are non-profit, nonpublic entities, serving 260,000  
            consumers via approximately 65,000 providers, including  
            parents of consumers. 

           COMMENTS  

           1)Purpose  . The author's intent is to require the 21 RCs to  
            disclose additional information on their websites in order to  








                                                                  SB 137
                                                                  Page  2

            increase transparency in the DDS system. Each of the 21  
            centers operates independently under a non-profit status and  
            is funded entirely with state money. The author contends that  
            the RCs use their non-profit status to deny requestors  
            information that would typically be covered under the  
            California Public Records Act. 

           2)Budget Trailer Bill  .  To promote transparency, a 2011-12  
            Budget Trailer Bill pertaining to DDS and the RCs, SB 74  
            (Committee on Budget & Fiscal Review; Chapter 9, Statutes of  
            2011), requires each RC to adopt, maintain, and post on its  
            Internet Web site a board-approved policy regarding  
            transparency and access to public information.  In addition,  
            each RC is required to post certain information, including  
            fiscal audits, annual reports, contract awards, names and  
            addresses of all vendors, and board meeting agendas.

           3)Related Legislation  . AB 1554 (Jeffries/ Silva) of 2012,  
            contained language identical to the provisions of this bill.  
            That bill was held on this committee's Suspense File.  

            AB 862 (Silva & Jeffries), 2011, was similar to this bill but  
            included additional items to be posted on RC Web sites and  
            required semiannual updates of vendor rates.  AB 862 was  
            vetoed by Gov. Brown.  The veto message referred to the  
            inclusion of one of the items required to be posted (related  
            to conflict-of-interest statements), which is not included in  
            this bill.

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Julie Salley-Gray / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081