BILL NUMBER: AB 1296INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Blumenfield FEBRUARY 27, 2009 An act to amend Section 4648.4 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to developmental services. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1296, as introduced, Blumenfield. Developmental services: regional centers. Under existing law, the State Department of Developmental Services provides funding for regional centers for the provision or purchase of services and supports to persons with developmental disabilities. Existing law, with certain exceptions, prohibits a regional center from paying any provider of specified services a rate that is greater than the rate that is in effect on June 30, 2008, unless the increase is required by contract between the regional center and the vendor that is in effect on June 30, 2008. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to the above provisions. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 4648.4 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read: 4648.4. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law or regulation, commencing July 1, 2006, rates for services listed in paragraphs (1), (2), with the exception of travel reimbursement, (3) to (8), inclusive, (10), and (11) of subdivision (b), shall be increased by 3 percent, subject to funds that are specifically appropriated for this increase in the Budget Act of 2006. The increase shall be applied as a percentage, and the percentage shall be the same for all providers. Any subsequent change shall be governed by subdivision (b). (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law or regulation, except for subdivision (a), no regional center may pay any provider of the following services or supports a rate that is greater than the rate that is in effect on or after June 30, 2008, unless the increase is required by a contract between the regional center and the vendor that is in effect on June 30, 2008, or the regional center demonstrates that the approval is necessary to protect the consumer' s health or safety and the department has granted prior written authorization: (1) Supported living services. (2) Transportation, including travel reimbursement. (3) Socialization training programs. (4) Behavior intervention training. (5) Community integration training programs. (6) Community activities support services. (7) Mobile day programs. (8) Creative art programs. (9) Supplemental day services program supports. (10) Adaptive skills trainers. (11) Independent living specialists.