BILL NUMBER: SB 367 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 11, 2013
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 1, 2013
INTRODUCED BY Senator Block
FEBRUARY 20, 2013
An act to add Section 4647.5 4629.6
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. 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. 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.
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.
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.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes
no . 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.
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.
SEC. 2. Section 4629.6 is added to the
Welfare and Institutions Code , to read:
4629.6. 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.