BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1626
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 9, 2104
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mike Gatto, Chair
AB 1626 (Maienschein) - As Introduced: February 10, 2014
Policy Committee: Human
ServicesVote:7 - 0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill increases the rates and fees paid to supported
employment services providers for regional center consumers.
Specifically, this bill:
1)Increases the hourly rate for supported employment services
provided to consumers receiving individualized or group
services from $30.82 to $34.24.
2)Increases the fee regional centers pay interim program
providers to complete the intake process for a consumer
entering a supported employment program from $360 to $400.
3)Increases the fee paid for placement of a consumer in an
integrated job and the fee paid after a consumer is retained
in a job for 90 days from $720 to $800.
FISCAL EFFECT
Increasing the rate paid to service providers for supported
employment would cost the Department of Developmental Services
(DDS) approximately $10 million (GF) per year and the Department
of Rehabilitation (DOR) approximately $2.5 million (GF) per
year.
COMMENTS
1)Purpose . Rates paid to supported employment services providers
were reduced by 10% in the 2008-09 Budget Act as a way of
achieving GF savings within the Department of Development
AB 1626
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Services (DDS). They remain at that level with no restorations
proposed for 2014-15. This bill restores those rates to their
pre 2008-09 levels. Because the rates paid by DDS are also
those paid by DOR under current law, the rate and fee
increases included in this bill will apply to consumers
regardless of whether the services outlined in this Section
are paid for by the regional centers or through DOR.
2)Reintroduction of AB 954 (Maienschein) . This bill is identical
to AB 954 (Maienschein, 2013) which was held on this
committee's Suspense File.
3)Related Legislation .
a) SB 577 (Pavley), pending at the Assembly Desk, requires
the development and semiannual review of a plan if
community-based prevocational services are determined to be
a necessary step to achieve a supported employment outcome
for adult consumers of Regional Centers. Establishes an
hourly rate for community-based prevocational services of
$40 per hour for a maximum of 75 hours per calendar quarter
for all services identified and provided in the plan.
b) AB 1041 (Chesbro) Chapter 677, Statutes of 2013, creates
a statewide Employment First Policy and sets forth
requirements related to the inclusion of integrated
employment opportunities and services in a regional center
consumer's individual program plan (IPP).
c) AB 287 (Beall, Chapter 231, Statutes of 2009)
established an Employment First Committee, which has led to
the CDD to put together an Employment First policy, the
intended outcome of which is a significant increase in the
number of people with developmental disabilities who are
employed earning wages at or above minimum wage.
Analysis Prepared by : Jennifer Swenson / APPR. / (916)
319-2081