Amended in Senate April 11, 2013

Amended in Senate April 1, 2013

Senate Bill No. 367

Introduced by Senator Block

February 20, 2013

An act to add Section begin delete 4647.5 end delete begin insert 4629.6 end insert to the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to developmental services.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 367, as amended, Block. Developmental services: regional centers: cultural and linguistic competency.

Under existing law, the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act, the State Department of Developmental Services is authorized to contract with regional centers to provide support and services to individuals with developmental disabilities. begin delete The services and supports to be provided to a regional center consumer are contained in an individual program plan (IPP), developed in accordance with prescribed requirements, including the use of a process that reflects the awareness of, and sensitivity to, the cultural background of the consumer and the family. Existing law authorizes the regional center to, among other things, solicit an individual or agency, by requests for proposals or other means, to provide needed services or supports that are not available to achieve the stated objectives of a consumer’s IPP. end delete begin insert Existing law requires the governing board of the regional center to satisfy specified requirements, including annually reviewing the performance of the director of the regional center. end insert

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This bill would require each regional center’s governing board, as a condition of its contract, to require the regional center’s executive director, or his or her designee, to provide an annual report on the regional center’s efforts to address issues of inequity in access to services that includes specified information, including a description of the utilization of various regional center services, broken down annually by ethnic and other demographic data. The bill would require that the governing board require the regional center to post information related to the annual report on its Internet Web site, when possible.

end insert begin delete

This bill would require the department to require regional centers to develop a Regional Center Study and Planning Process for Equity and Cultural and Linguistic Competency (RESPECT) to address issues, outcomes, and monitoring relating to culturally and linguistically competent services and other factors that promote equity, fairness, and diversity for underserved populations. The bill would require RESPECT to be updated at least every 2 years, and include cultural and linguistic competency staff training and a requirement that providers include specified information in their vendor applications. The bill would require regional centers to establish an Advisory Board for Leadership and Equity to promote partnerships between regional centers and community-based organizations and seek to meet biannually and provide specified findings and recommendations to the board of directors of the regional center. Under the bill, a regional center may use an existing group to meet that requirement under certain circumstances. The bill would require regional centers to seek to post information relating to RESPECT on their Internet Web sites.

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Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  begin delete yes end delete begin insert no end insert . 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 enact
legislation that would provide that the State Department of
Developmental Services require regional centers to address issues
of cultural and linguistic competency.

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SEC. 2.  

Section 4647.5 is added to the Welfare and Institutions
Code, to read:

4647.5.  

(a) The department shall require regional centers to
develop a Regional Center Study and Planning Process for Equity
and Cultural and Linguistic Competency (RESPECT), which shall
address issues, outcomes, and monitoring relating to culturally and
linguistically competent services and other factors that promote
equity, fairness, and diversity for underserved populations.

(b) The findings and recommendations contained in RESPECT
shall be updated, at least every two years, and shall include, but
not be limited to, the following:

(1) Cultural and linguistic competency staff training.

(2) A requirement that a provider include in its vendor
application to the regional center information about the language
capabilities of its staff and its ability to provide services in a
culturally and linguistically competent manner.

(c) (1) Regional centers shall establish an Advisory Board for
Leadership and Equity (ABLE) that shall promote partnerships
between regional centers and community-based organizations,
including, but not limited to, providers or provider organizations,
and shall seek to accomplish the following:

(A) Meet at least biannually.

(B) Provide annual findings and recommendations to the board
of directors of the regional center on regional center policies and
procedures that will promote equity, diversity, and cultural and
linguistic competency for consumers and their families.

(C) Review and provide input on RESPECT.

(2) Nothing in this subdivision shall preclude a regional center
from using an existing group or organization, including, but not
limited to, the regional center’s board of directors, to meet this
requirement if the group or organization appropriately reflects the
diversity and cultural background of the regional center catchment
area.

(d) Regional centers shall seek to post information relating to
RESPECT on their Internet Web sites.

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begin insert SEC. 2. end insert   

end insert

begin insert Section 4629.6 is added to the end insert begin insert Welfare and Institutions
Code end insert begin insert , to read: end insert

begin insert

begin insert 4629.6. end insert   

As a condition of its contract, each regional center’s
governing board shall do the following:

(a) Require the regional center’s executive director, or his or
her designee, to provide an annual report on the regional center’s
efforts to address issues of inequity in access to services, including,
but not limited to, the following:

(1) A description of the utilization of various regional center
services, broken down annually by ethnic and other demographic
data.

(2) Identification of barriers to services.

(3) A description of specific steps toward progress made in
identifying and providing services to underserved populations
within the prior year, including identifying innovative practices
by the regional center or its contracted community-based
organizations.

(4) A description of efforts made to build partnerships between
community-based providers of other services for regional center
consumers who are in underserved communities.

(b) Require the regional center to post information related to
the annual report on its Internet Web site, when possible.

end insert