BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2129
Page 1
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 2129 (Bass)
As Amended August 2, 2010
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |74-0 |(April 22, |SENATE: |26-7 |(August 18, |
| | |2010) | | |2010) |
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Original Committee Reference: HUM. S.
SUMMARY : Extends to July 1, 2014, the deadline for the
Department of Social Services (DSS) to develop a plan to
transform the current statewide system of group homes into a
system of residentially based services, and provides that
voluntary agreements between counties and private nonprofit
agencies to test alternative program design and funding models
for transforming individual group home programs into
residentially based services programs must terminate on or
before January 1, 2015.
The Senate amendments :
1)Extend the date by which DSS is to develop the plan to
transform the current statewide system of group homes into a
system of residentially based services from January 1, 2014,
to July 1, 2014.
2)Require any upfront costs for the project to be offset by
other program savings identified by DSS to ensure that there
are no net General Fund costs in each fiscal year, and clarify
that the authority to make higher Aid to Families with
Dependent Children-Foster Care (AFDC-FC) payments for children
and youth enrolled in a residentially based services program
is not affected by changes made to payments to group homes
under current law.
3)Require DSS to conduct a review of the county residentially
based services program no sooner than 18 months after the
first child is enrolled in the program, to determine whether
children are moving from residentially based services group
residential care facilities into lower levels of care or
exiting from foster care to permanent families in a timely
manner, as described in the county's approved residentially
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based services plan.
4)Allow DSS to terminate the county's participation in the
residentially based services reform project with 60 days
advance notice to the county if DSS determines, based on its
review, that the county is not achieving timely movement into
lower levels of care, or exits from foster care to permanent
families with associated savings.
5)Authorize DSS to fund authorized child welfare activities
through the Child Welfare Services Program Improvement Fund by
means of grants from the fund, rather than by contract, and
authorize DSS to renew grants for authorized activities that
exceed three years if the grant is reviewed annually and the
grantee is found to be satisfactorily meet the grant
objectives.
AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this bill extended to January 1,
2014, the deadline for DSS to develop a plan to transform the
current statewide system of group homes into a system of
residentially based services, and provided that voluntary
agreements between counties and private nonprofit agencies to
test alternative program design and funding models for
transforming individual group home programs into residentially
based services programs may not exceed five years from January
1, 2010.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee:
1)Likely minor costs associated with extending the workgroup
deadline.
2)Costs of up to $185,000 in 2010-11 for extending the pilots,
and potentially significant costs in 2011-12 and 2012-13, with
potentially long term offsetting savings from pilot projects
after the first year of implementation.
COMMENTS : AB 1453 (Soto), Chapter 466, Statutes of 2007, adds
the provisions directing DSS to convene a workgroup to develop a
plan to transform the current statewide system of group homes
into a system of residentially based services and, in the
interim, permit some counties to enter into voluntary agreements
with private nonprofit agencies to transform individual group
home programs. In enacting AB 1453, the Legislature found that
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"[t]here is general dissatisfaction with how foster care group
homes are currently used in California's child welfare, juvenile
justice, and mental health systems. This concern is shared by
the state, county placing agencies, the courts, group home
providers, children's advocates, and, most importantly, by
foster youth and their families."
This bill extends DSS's deadline for developing the plan and
time limits related to the voluntary agreements between counties
and nonprofit agencies for transforming the current statewide
system of group homes into a system of residentially based
services. The Senate amendments specify additional funding and
review requirements related to voluntary residentially based
service reform projects implemented under the plan. The Senate
amendments also provide additional means of funding authorized
child welfare activities using the Child Welfare Services
Program Improvement Fund, and allow certain grants to be
renewed.
Analysis Prepared by : Eric Gelber / HUM. S. / (916) 319-2089
FN: 0006001