BILL NUMBER: SB 158	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  MARCH 21, 2013

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Correa
    (   Coauthor:   Senator   Beall
  ) 

                        FEBRUARY 1, 2013

   An act  to add and repeal Section 4639.8 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code,   relating to autism  services  .


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 158, as amended, Correa. Autism services: demonstration
program.
   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  declare the intent of the Legislature to
enact legislation that would  establish  , until January
1, 2019,  a demonstration program  that will provide
technical assistance and best practices related to linguistic and
cultural competency for autism services that are provided by regional
centers to consumers and their families   that would be
known as the Regional Center Excellence in Community Autism
Partnerships (RE CAP) program to implement measures in underserved
communities to promote awareness and reduce the stigma associated
with autism or pervasive developmental spectrum disorders, improve
the early screening, diagnosis, and assessment of those disorders,
and increase access to evidence-based interventions and treatments,
as specified. The bill would require the department to contract with
a University of California or California State University campus to
serve as the coordinating center for the program. The bill would also
require the departm  ent to define the responsibilities of
the coordinating center and to establish criteria for participation
in, and guidelines for the implementation of, the program. The bill
would require, on or before January 1, 2018, the center, or its
designee, to provide information to the appropriate committees of the
Legislature, the department, the Governor's office, and
participating regional   centers information regarding the
efficacy and outcomes of the RE CAP program  .
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  no
  yes  . State-mandated local program: no.


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

   SECTION 1.    Section 4639.8 is added to the 
 Welfare and Institutions Code   , to read:  
   4639.8.  (a) A demonstration program that shall provide improved
services, supports, interventions, and other resources to assist
individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and their families,
who are regional center consumers and who reside in underserved
communities is hereby established pursuant to this section.
   (b) The demonstration program shall be known as the Regional
Center Excellence in Community Autism Partnerships (RE CAP) program.
   (c) The department shall contract with a University of California
or California State University campus that shall serve as a
coordinating center to implement the RE CAP program. In collaboration
with the participating regional centers, the coordinating center
shall identify and coordinate the activities and resources of other
participating entities and organizations.
   (d) The department shall do all of the following:
    (1) Define the responsibilities of the coordinating center.
   (2) Establish appropriate criteria and parameters by which
regional centers may participate in the RE CAP program.
   (3) Establish criteria and parameters by which specific geographic
areas in catchment areas of participating regional centers shall be
designated as underserved communities.
   (4) Establish guidelines, best practices, and technical assistance
by which regional centers participating in the RE CAP program shall
implement measures in underserved communities to accomplish any of
the following:
   (A) Promote awareness and reduce the stigma associated with ASD.
   (B) Improve the early screening for ASD.
   (C) Improve the diagnosis and assessment of ASD.
   (D) Increase access to evidence-based interventions and treatments
for ASD.
   (5) Establish indicators and outcome measures that may be utilized
to evaluate the efficacy of the RE CAP program.
   (e) Participation of the regional centers shall be on a voluntary
basis or as deemed necessary by the department.
   (f) (1) Funding for the RE CAP program shall be from existing
regional center resources in combination with additional resources
provided by foundations, federal funding, and other sources and as
allocated by the coordinating center for each of the RE CAP programs.
No additional state funds shall be allocated for these purposes.
   (2) The coordinating center shall implement the demonstration
project described in this section only to the extent that adequate
funding and resources are made available for the project.
   (g) On or before January 1, 2018, the coordinating center, or its
designee, shall provide information to the appropriate committees of
the Legislature, the department, the Governor's office, and
participating regional centers regarding the efficacy and outcomes of
the RE CAP program.
   (h) 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.  
  SECTION 1.    It is the intent of the Legislature
to enact legislation that would establish a demonstration program
that will provide technical assistance and best practices related to
linguistic and cultural competency for autism services that are
provided by regional centers to consumers and their families.