SB 143: Developmental services.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

(1)Existing law, the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act, requires the State Department of Developmental Services to contract with regional centers for the provision of services and supports for persons with developmental disabilities and their families. Under existing law, the services and supports are contained in an individual program plan (IPP), as specified.

Existing law requires the department to implement a statewide Self-Determination Program, available in every regional center catchment area to provide participants and their families, within an individual budget, with increased flexibility and choice, and greater control over decisions, resources, and needed and desired services and supports to implement their IPP. Existing law prescribes the process for allocating funds to, and within, the participant’s individual budget.

This bill would make various changes to the Self-Determination Program, including, among others, establishing the participants’ individual budget generally based on the services authorized instead of being based on purchase of service expenditures, requiring a regional center to certify that participants’ spending plans satisfy certain criteria, and requiring the department to establish statewide standardized processes and procedures for the program, with community input, no later than March 1, 2027.

(2)Under existing law, contracts between the department and regional centers require regional centers to maintain specified service coordinator-to-consumer ratios and have expertise in certain topics in order to serve consumers. Existing law requires the department, through contracts, to require regional centers to implement implicit bias training, as specified. Existing law authorizes the training to be procured by the department or by a regional center that has obtained prior approval by the department.

This bill would make the departmental training requirements subject to an appropriation by the Legislature for that purpose. The bill would also state the intent of the Legislature that regional centers continue to implement the implicit bias training to the extent they are able to, in the absence of a state appropriation.

(3)Existing law required the department, between April 1, 2022, and January 1, 2025, to incrementally implement rate reform to increase rates paid to developmental service providers. Existing law requires, in conjunction with the rate reform, the department to implement a quality incentive program that includes the development of a quality incentive payment structure for providers meeting quality measures or benchmarks, or both.

Sponsors

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. June 24, 2025From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on BUDGET.
2. March 24, 2025Referred to Com. on BUDGET.
3. March 20, 2025In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
4. March 20, 2025Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 28. Noes 10. Page 444.) Ordered to the Assembly.
5. March 18, 2025Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
6. March 17, 2025Ordered to second reading.
7. March 17, 2025Withdrawn from committee. (Ayes 27. Noes 10. Page 384.)
8. February 5, 2025Referred to Com. on B. & F. R.
9. January 24, 2025From printer. May be acted upon on or after February 23.
10. January 23, 2025Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.