BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE HUMAN
SERVICES COMMITTEE
Senator Carol Liu, Chair
BILL NO: AB 378
A
AUTHOR: Cook
B
VERSION: May 4, 2009
HEARING DATE: June 23, 2009
3
FISCAL: To Appropriations
7
8
CONSULTANT:
Hailey
SUBJECT
In-Home Supportive Services: provider training
SUMMARY
Directs public authorities (the employer of record for
In-Home Supportive Services workers) to develop training
standards and core topics for the training they provide to
IHSS workers and clients.
ABSTRACT
Current law
1)Establishes the IHSS program to provide personal services
and home care for eligible aged, blind, and disabled
individuals.
2)Establishes in each county a public authority or
nonprofit consortium to be the employer of record for
providers of IHSS services.
3)Requires every public authority or nonprofit consortium
providing for the delivery of IHSS to provide for the
training of providers and recipients.
Continued---
STAFF ANALYSIS OF ASSEMBLY BILL 378 (Cook) Page
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This bill
1)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 IHSS providers
and recipients.
FISCAL IMPACT
The Assembly Appropriations Committee finds no significant
state costs.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
This bill requires that IHSS public authorities and
nonprofit consortia 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." As the Assembly Human Services
Committee noted in its analysis, the bill requires each
public authority and nonprofit consortium to establish
standards, so it is unclear how this bill would result in
uniform standards.
A prior bill, AB 182 (Ma 2007), would have required the
public authorities and nonprofit consortia to develop the
standards and core topics. In vetoing AB 182, the governor
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
also stated that he was directing the State Department of
Social Services (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.
Previous votes :
Assembly Floor: 62-4
STAFF ANALYSIS OF ASSEMBLY BILL 378 (Cook) Page
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Assembly Appropriations:11-5
Assembly Human Services: 5-0
QUESTIONS AND COMMENT
Accommodating a previous veto
The committee may wish to ask the author if he has received
any indication that the governor will sign this bill, which
is similar to a bill vetoed in 2007, and what differences
he sees between then and now that would lead to a
signature.
POSITIONS
Support: United Domestic Workers of America (sponsor)
American Federation of State, County and
Municipal Employees (sponsor)
Service Employees International Union
Oppose: None received
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