California Senate Bill SB158 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: SB 158AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE MARCH 21, 2013 INTRODUCED BY Senator Correa  (   Coauthor:   Senator   Beall   )  FEBRUARY 1, 2013 An act  to add and repeal Section 4639.8 of the Welfare and Institutions Code,  relating to autism  services  . LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 158, as amended, Correa. Autism services: demonstration program. The Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act authorizes the State Department of Developmental Services to contract with regional centers to provide services and support to individuals with developmental disabilities, including autism. This bill would  declare the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would  establish  , until January 1, 2019,  a demonstration program  that will provide technical assistance and best practices related to linguistic and cultural competency for autism services that are provided by regional centers to consumers and their families   that would be known as the Regional Center Excellence in Community Autism Partnerships (RE CAP) program to implement measures in underserved communities to promote awareness and reduce the stigma associated with autism or pervasive developmental spectrum disorders, improve the early screening, diagnosis, and assessment of those disorders, and increase access to evidence-based interventions and treatments, as specified. The bill would require the department to contract with a University of California or California State University campus to serve as the coordinating center for the program. The bill would also require the departm  ent to define the responsibilities of the coordinating center and to establish criteria for participation in, and guidelines for the implementation of, the program. The bill would require, on or before January 1, 2018, the center, or its designee, to provide information to the appropriate committees of the Legislature, the department, the Governor's office, and participating regional   centers information regarding the efficacy and outcomes of the RE CAP program  . Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  no   yes  . State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:  SECTION 1.   Section 4639.8 is added to the   Welfare and Institutions Code   , to read:   4639.8. (a) A demonstration program that shall provide improved services, supports, interventions, and other resources to assist individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and their families, who are regional center consumers and who reside in underserved communities is hereby established pursuant to this section. (b) The demonstration program shall be known as the Regional Center Excellence in Community Autism Partnerships (RE CAP) program. (c) The department shall contract with a University of California or California State University campus that shall serve as a coordinating center to implement the RE CAP program. In collaboration with the participating regional centers, the coordinating center shall identify and coordinate the activities and resources of other participating entities and organizations. (d) The department shall do all of the following: (1) Define the responsibilities of the coordinating center. (2) Establish appropriate criteria and parameters by which regional centers may participate in the RE CAP program. (3) Establish criteria and parameters by which specific geographic areas in catchment areas of participating regional centers shall be designated as underserved communities. (4) Establish guidelines, best practices, and technical assistance by which regional centers participating in the RE CAP program shall implement measures in underserved communities to accomplish any of the following: (A) Promote awareness and reduce the stigma associated with ASD. (B) Improve the early screening for ASD. (C) Improve the diagnosis and assessment of ASD. (D) Increase access to evidence-based interventions and treatments for ASD. (5) Establish indicators and outcome measures that may be utilized to evaluate the efficacy of the RE CAP program. (e) Participation of the regional centers shall be on a voluntary basis or as deemed necessary by the department. (f) (1) Funding for the RE CAP program shall be from existing regional center resources in combination with additional resources provided by foundations, federal funding, and other sources and as allocated by the coordinating center for each of the RE CAP programs. No additional state funds shall be allocated for these purposes. (2) The coordinating center shall implement the demonstration project described in this section only to the extent that adequate funding and resources are made available for the project. (g) On or before January 1, 2018, the coordinating center, or its designee, shall provide information to the appropriate committees of the Legislature, the department, the Governor's office, and participating regional centers regarding the efficacy and outcomes of the RE CAP program. (h) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2019, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2019, deletes or extends that date.   SECTION 1.   It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would establish a demonstration program that will provide technical assistance and best practices related to linguistic and cultural competency for autism services that are provided by regional centers to consumers and their families.