Amended in Senate May 28, 2013

Amended in Senate March 21, 2013

Senate BillNo. 158


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 Actbegin delete authorizesend deletebegin insert requiresend insert 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 wouldbegin delete establishend deletebegin insert authorizeend insert, until January 1, 2019,begin insert the establishment ofend insert a demonstration program that would be known as the Regional Center Excellence in Community Autism Partnerships (RE CAP) program tobegin delete 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 specifiedend deletebegin insert provide improved services, supports, interventions, and other resources to assist individuals with autism spectrum disorders, and their families, who are regional center consumers and who reside in underserved communities, as specifiedend insert. The bill wouldbegin delete requireend deletebegin insert authorizeend insert the department to contract with a University of California or California State University campus to serve asbegin delete theend deletebegin insert aend insert coordinating centerbegin delete forend deletebegin insert to developend insert the program. The bill wouldbegin delete also require the department 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.end deletebegin insert authorize the coordinating center to establish guidelines by which regional centers participating in the program would implement measures in underserved communities, in a linguistically and culturally competent manner, to promote awareness and reduce the stigma associated with autism, improve the early screening, diagnosis, and assessment of autism, and increase access to evidence-based interventions and treatments for autism, as specified.end insert

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

P2    1

SECTION 1.  

Section 4639.8 is added to the Welfare and
2Institutions Code
, to read:

3

4639.8.  

(a) A demonstration programbegin insert,end insert that shallbegin insert be known as
4the Regional Center Excellence in Community Autism Partnerships
5(RE CAP), may be established pursuant to this section. If RE CAP
6is established, it shallend insert
provide improved services, supports,
7interventions, and other resources to assist individuals with autism
8spectrum disorders (ASD), and their families, who are regional
9center consumers and who reside in underservedbegin delete communities is
10hereby established pursuant to this section.end delete
begin insert communities.end insert

begin delete

11(b) The demonstration program shall be known as the Regional
12Center Excellence in Community Autism Partnerships (RE CAP)
13program.

end delete
begin delete

14(c)

end delete

15begin insert(b)end insert The departmentbegin delete shallend deletebegin insert mayend insert contract with a University of
16California or California State University campusbegin delete that shallend deletebegin insert toend insert serve
17as a coordinating center tobegin delete implementend deletebegin insert developend insert the RE CAP
18program. begin delete In collaboration with the participating regional centers,
P3    1the coordinating center shall identify and coordinate the activities
2and resources of other participating entities and organizations.end delete

begin delete

3(d) The department shall do all of the following:

end delete
begin delete

4 (1) Define the responsibilities of the coordinating center.

end delete
begin delete

5(2) Establish appropriate criteria and parameters by which
6regional centers may participate in the RE CAP program.

end delete
begin delete

7(3) Establish criteria and parameters by which specific
8geographic areas in catchment areas of participating regional
9centers shall be designated as underserved communities.

end delete
begin delete

10(4) Establish

end delete

11begin insert(c)end insertbegin insertend insertbegin insertThe coordinating center may establishend insert guidelines, best
12practices, and technical assistance by which regional centers
13participating in the RE CAP program shall implement measures
14in underserved communities to accomplish any of the following
15begin insert goals and objectives in a linguistically and culturally competent
16mannerend insert
:

17(A) Promote awareness and reduce the stigma associated with
18ASD.

19(B) Improve the early screening for ASD.

20(C) Improve the diagnosis and assessment of ASD.

21(D) Increase access to evidence-based interventions and
22treatments for ASD.

begin delete

23(5) Establish indicators and outcome measures that may be
24utilized to evaluate the efficacy of the RE CAP program.

end delete
begin delete

25(e)

end delete

26begin insert(d)end insert Participation of the regional centers shall be on a voluntary
27basisbegin delete or as deemed necessary by the departmentend delete.

begin delete

28(f) (1) 

end delete

29begin insert(e)end insertbegin insertend insert Funding for the RE CAP program shall be from existing
30regional center resources in combination with additional resources
31provided by foundations, federal funding, and other sources and
32as allocated by the coordinating center for each of the RE CAP
33programs. No additional state funds shall be allocatedbegin insert to the
34coordinating center or the regional centersend insert
for these purposes.

begin delete

35(2) The coordinating center shall implement the demonstration
36project described in this section only to the extent that adequate
37funding and resources are made available for the project.

end delete
begin delete

38(g) On or before January 1, 2018, the coordinating center, or its
39designee, shall provide information to the appropriate committees
40of the Legislature, the department, the Governor’s office, and
P4    1participating regional centers regarding the efficacy and outcomes
2of the RE CAP program.

end delete
begin delete

3(h)

end delete

4begin insert(f)end insert This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2019,
5and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that
6is enacted before January 1, 2019, deletes or extends that date.



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