BILL ANALYSIS �
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Kevin de Le�n, Chair
SB 1344 (Evans) - Developmental services: Sonoma Developmental
Center.
Amended: April 24, 2014 Policy Vote: Human Services 4-0
Urgency: No Mandate: Yes
Hearing Date: May 5, 2014 Consultant: Brendan McCarthy
This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.
Bill Summary: SB 1344 would designate the Sonoma Developmental
Center as the center of last resort for Northern California. The
bill would require the Department of Developmental Services to
develop a plan for Sonoma Developmental Center.
Fiscal Impact:
Likely one-time costs of about $150,000 to develop the
required action plan by the Department of Developmental
Services (General Fund).
Potential costs to Sonoma County of about $50,000 to
participate in the planning process and coordinate with
local stakeholders (local funds or General Fund). Because
the bill mandates that Sonoma County participate in the
planning process and coordinate with stakeholders, the
county may file a mandate claim with the Commission on State
Mandates to recover any costs incurred under the bill.
Unknown cost increases to provide services and supports to
developmentally disabled individuals in Sonoma Developmental
Center who may, in the absence of this bill, live in the
community (General Fund and federal funds). By designating
Sonoma Developmental Center as a center of last resort, the
bill would establish a policy that the state is not going to
close Sonoma Developmental Center. In recent years, the
Department has moved a significant number of developmental
center residents to community placements. It is not yet
clear whether doing so has or will result in cost savings to
the state. If it does prove less costly to provide services
to residents in the community than in Sonoma Developmental
Center, then the bill would likely increase state costs by
preventing the Department from moving developmental center
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residents to the community.
Unknown reduction in future state revenues from the sale or
reuse of all or portions of the Sonoma Developmental Center
Campus (General Fund). If the state were to close Sonoma
Developmental Center or significantly reduce usage of the
1,000 acre campus (for example by shifting from a
residential care model to providing more limited out-patient
services), some or all of the campus would likely be
designated as surplus property and sold or leased by the
Department of General Services. To the extent that the bill
results in the status quo at Sonoma Developmental Center,
revenues from the sale or lease of the property would not
occur.
Background: California provides community-based services to
approximately 250,000 persons with developmental disabilities
and their families through a statewide system of 21 regional
centers. Regional centers diagnostic and assessment services to
determine eligibility, convene planning teams to develop an
Individual Program Plan for each eligible consumer, and either
provide or obtain from generic agencies appropriate services for
each consumer in accordance with the Individual Program Plan.
In addition, the state operates developmental centers for
developmentally disabled individuals with significant service
needs. At one time, the state operated eight developmental
centers with a peak total population of 13,400. Today the state
operates four developmental centers with a population of about
1,300 residents. Lanterman Developmental Center is planned for
closure by the end of 2014.
Historically, individuals were placed in developmental centers
(or state hospitals) because they had health care or support
needs that could not be met in a community setting. Over time,
services and supports available in the community have grown and
today many current developmental center residents or individuals
who once would have been developmental center residents are able
to reside in community settings with services and supports
coordinated by a regional center. The long-run trend is for
reduced residency in regional centers. There is a moratorium in
place preventing new admissions to developmental centers in most
circumstances.
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There is no plan in place at this time for closure of the
remaining developmental centers. Current law requires the
Department to report to the Legislature on any planned closure
of a developmental center by April 1 of the year prior to the
fiscal year in which a closure is planned.
Proposed Law: SB 1344 would designate the Sonoma Developmental
Center as the center of last resort for Northern California.
The bill would require the Department of Developmental Services
to develop a plan for Sonoma Developmental Center, with
specified requirements.
Related Legislation:
SB 1428 (Evans) would require the Department of
Developmental Disabilities, the Department of General
Services, and Sonoma County to confer with stakeholders on
the future of Sonoma Developmental Center. That bill is on
this committee's Suspense File.
AB 2349 (Yamada) would establish an Office of Community
Care Coordination, within the Department of Developmental
Services at Sonoma Developmental Center. That bill is
pending in the Assembly Human Services Committee.