BILL ANALYSIS Ó
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Kevin de León, Chair
SB 579 (Berryhill) - Developmental services: Commission on
Oversight Efficiency and Quality Enhancement Models.
Amended: January 14, 2014 Policy Vote: Human Services 4-0
Urgency: No Mandate: No
Hearing Date: January 23, 2014
Consultant: Brendan McCarthy
SUSPENSE FILE.
Bill Summary: SB 579 would create an appointed commission to
investigate ways to streamline and improve the regulation and
oversight of programs that provide services to the
developmentally disabled.
Fiscal Impact: Likely costs of about $500,000 over two years to
support the Commission (General Fund). This estimate includes
state staff to provide administrative support to the Commission
as well as travel and other costs associated with the
Commission.
Background: California provides community-based services to
approximately 250,000 persons with developmental disabilities
and their families through a statewide system of 21 regional
centers. Regional centers are private, nonprofit agencies under
contract with the Department of Developmental Services for the
provision of various services and supports to people with
developmental disabilities. As a single point of entry, regional
centers provide diagnostic and assessment services to determine
eligibility; convene planning teams to develop an Individual
Program Plan for each eligible consumer; and either provide or
obtain from generic agencies appropriate services for each
consumer in accordance with the Individual Program Plan.
Under current law, providers of services to the developmentally
disabled may be licensed by the Department of Social Services or
the Department of Public Health. For example, the Department of
Social Services licenses providers of day programs and operators
of group residential homes. The Department of Public Health
licenses facilities such as intermediate care facilities for the
developmentally disabled and specialized nursing homes.
SB 579 (Berryhill)
Page 1
Proposed Law: SB 579 would create an appointed commission to
investigate ways to streamline and improve the regulation and
oversight of programs that provide services to the
developmentally disabled.
Specific provisions of the bill would:
Establish a Commission on Oversight Efficiency and Quality
Enhancement Models;
Establish the process for appointing members of the
Commission (by the Governor, the Senate Rules Committee, the
Speaker of the Assembly and from the Department of
Developmental Services, the Department of Social Services,
and the Health and Human Services Agency);
Require the Commission to evaluate the relevant statutes
and regulations concerning the licensing of providers by the
Department of Social Services;
Require the Commission to recommend a strategy for the
uniform collection of data regarding Regional Center
consumers;
Require the Commission to include the results of surveys of
regional center consumers and families and service
providers;
Require the Commission to report to the Legislature and the
Department of Developmental Services on recommended changes
to relevant statutes and regulations by December 31, 2016;
Require the Commission to propose a process for a future
commission to review relevant statutes and regulations
governing the regulation of facilities by the Department of
Public Health;
Sunsets the provisions of the bill on January 1, 2018.
Staff Comments: The bill does not specify a state agency to
provide administrative support to the new Commission.
Presumably, the Department of Developmental Services would
fulfil this responsibility.