BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 378
                                                                  Page  1


          ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
          AB 378 (Cook)
          As Amended  May 4, 2009
          Majority vote 

           HUMAN SERVICES      5-0         APPROPRIATIONS      11-5        
           
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
          |Ayes:|Beall, Ammiano, Tom       |Ayes:|De Leon, Ammiano, Charles |
          |     |Berryhill, Portantino,    |     |Calderon, Krekorian,      |
          |     |Torres                    |     |Fuentes, Monning,         |
          |     |                          |     |John A. Perez, Price,     |
          |     |                          |     |Skinner, Solorio,         |
          |     |                          |     |Torlakson                 |
          |     |                          |     |                          |
          |-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
          |     |                          |Nays:|Nielsen, Duvall, Harkey,  |
          |     |                          |     |Miller, Audra Strickland  |
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
           
          SUMMARY  :  Requires each public authority or nonprofit  
          consortium, with input from its advisory committee and other  
          stakeholders, to develop training standards and core topics for  
          the trainings it provides to In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS)  
          providers and recipients. 

           EXISTING LAW  :

          1)Establishes the IHSS program to provide personal services and  
            home care for eligible poor, aged, blind, and disabled  
            individuals.

          2)Requires every public authority or nonprofit consortium  
            providing for the delivery of IHSS to provide for the training  
            of providers and recipients.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  According to the Assembly Appropriations  
          Committee:

          1)There are no significant state costs associated with this  
            legislation.  The costs for developing training standards  
            would be borne by the individual public authorities and  
            nonprofit consortiums. 









                                                                  AB 378
                                                                  Page  2


          2)Unknown cost pressures to the extent public authorities and  
            consortiums develop standards that require increased training  
            of IHSS providers.

           COMMENTS  :  This bill requires that public authorities and  
          nonprofit consortia providing for the delivery of IHSS to  
          develop standards and core topics to be used in training of  
          providers and recipients.  According to the author, "a statewide  
          program should have uniform standards for training in order to  
          ensure all consumers receive quality care."  This bill requires  
          each public authority and nonprofit consortium to establish  
          standards.  This has the advantage of allowing each county to  
          establish standards appropriate to local need and circumstances;  
          it would not, however, necessarily result in statewide  
          uniformity.

          AB 182 (Ma) of 2007 initially required the state Department of  
          Social Services (DSS), in consultation with public authorities,  
          to develop training standards and core topics.  The Senate  
          Appropriations Committee analysis identified $150,000 in 2007-08  
          costs and $100,000 in 2008-09 costs "for increased workload for  
          convening stakeholders meetings and developing the training  
          standards and topics."  AB 182 was subsequently amended to;  
          instead, require the public authorities and nonprofit consortia  
          to develop the standards and core topics.  In vetoing AB 182,  
          Governor Schwarzenegger said that the bill "could lead to the  
          development of dozens of different training standards across the  
          state.  I believe consistent training standards can be more  
          effectively developed at the state level."  The Governor further  
          said that he was "directing [DSS], in consultation with  
          consumers, counties and other key stakeholders, to establish  
          appropriate training standards for IHSS providers  
          administratively to the extent resources are available to  
          accomplish this task."  To date, DSS has not established such  
          statewide standards, which supports the need for this bill.


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Eric Gelber / HUM. S. / (916) 319-2089 


                                                                FN: 0000538