This assembly bill was introduced by Assembly Member Wood on February 17, 2023. The current Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act mandates the State Department of Developmental Services to enter into contracts with regional centers for the provision of services and support to individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. Among the obligations of regional centers is the provision of independent living skills services to adult consumers. These services involve functional skills training designed to enable consumers to either acquire or maintain the necessary skills for independent living or attain greater independence while residing in another person's home. Additionally, existing law requires the department to establish regulations outlining program standards and a fair process for determining state payment rates for community-based day programs, which encompass independent living programs, among other services.
This proposed legislation necessitates that independent living skills services incorporate functional skills training elements, encompassing activities such as cooking, money management, utilization of medical and dental services, and awareness of community resources. The bill prohibits the provision of these services in a center-based environment. The legislation further mandates the department to revise and implement, by April 1, 2024, an equitable and cost-effective procedure for setting state payment rates for independent living skills services. The specified requirements include ensuring that these services are not classified as a community-based day program or adult day program. The rate-setting procedure is expected to reflect the reasonable cost of independent living skills services, determined using the latest United States Bureau of Labor Statistics' State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates for California.