BILL ANALYSIS
AB 287
Page 1
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 287 (Beall)
As Amended September 2, 2009
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |53-24|(May 28, 2009) |SENATE: |26-10|(September 3, |
| | | | | |2009) |
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Original Committee Reference: HUM. S.
SUMMARY : Requires that the State Council on Developmental
Disabilities (State Council) to establish a standing Employment
First Committee (Committee) to identify strategies, best
practices, and incentives, and to develop an Employment First
Policy (Policy), the intended outcome of which is a significant
increase in the number of people with developmental disabilities
who are employed in integrated work, self employment, and
microenterprises, and in the number earning wages at or above
minimum wage. Requires that the Committee to annually report to
the Legislature and the Governor on its work and
recommendations. Makes related legislative findings and
declarations.
The Senate amendments :
1)Delete language establishing the Policy and, instead, require
that the Policy be developed by the Committee.
2)Provide that the Policy shall not limit service and support
options otherwise available to consumers, or the rights of
consumers and, as appropriate, their legally authorized
representatives, to make choices in their own lives.
3)Move findings and declarations to an uncodified section and
move to the uncodified findings and declarations substantive
provisions from the Assembly version saying that:
a) The Legislature places a high priority on providing
supported employment and other integrated employment
opportunities for working age adults with developmental
disabilities; and,
AB 287
Page 2
b) Individual planning teams are encouraged to discuss
school-to-work opportunities during planning team meetings
when a consumer is 14 years old, and regional
representatives are encouraged to inform consumers,
parents, legal guardians, or conservators that the regional
center is available, upon request, to participate in the
consumer's individualized education plan meetings to
discuss transition planning.
AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY, this bill established the Policy and
required that the State Council establish a standing Employment
First Committee to identify strategies, best practices, and
incentives to implement the policy.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee:
1)Absorbable workload to regional centers (RCs) to integrate the
Employment First approach in the Individual Program Plan for
teen and adult consumers. Absorbable workload to the State
Council to convene the standing committee and provide
legislative feedback.
2)Unknown, potentially significant savings to the extent this
bill reduces RC service needs for consumers who are able to
successfully transition to employment. RC services for
consumers addressed by this bill range from approximately
$5,000 [66% (General Fund (GF)] per year to $25,000 (66% GF) a
year. These costs will be reduced and GF economic activity
will result to the extent consumers move from a service
environment to a working environment.
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, $50,000 in
federal funds for the Committee for 2009-10, and $100,000 in
federal funds for the Committee in 2010-11 and 2011-12.
COMMENTS : This bill's findings and declarations recognize that
working-age people with disabilities are among the most
unemployed and underemployed members of society and that people
with developmental disabilities are an important and largely
untapped employment resource. This bill also states the
Legislature's high priority on providing supported employment
and other integrated employment opportunities for working age
adults with developmental disabilities.
AB 287
Page 3
The Senate amendments are consistent with these findings and
priority. Rather than establishing the Policy, however, the
Senate amendments require that the Committee established by this
bill develop such a policy and then report on its work and
recommendations for consideration by the Legislature. The
Senate amendments resolve concerns over possible GF cost
pressures that could result from immediate adoption of the
Policy.
Analysis Prepared by : Eric Gelber / HUM. S. / (916) 319-2089
FN:
0002843