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SB-158 Autism services: demonstration program.(2013-2014)

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Enrolled  September 06, 2013
Passed  IN  Senate  May 29, 2013
Passed  IN  Assembly  September 04, 2013
Amended  IN  Senate  May 28, 2013
Amended  IN  Senate  March 21, 2013

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2013–2014 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill
No. 158

Introduced by Senator Correa
(Coauthor: Senator Beall)

February 01, 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, Correa. Autism services: demonstration program.
The Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act requires 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 authorize, until January 1, 2019, the establishment of a demonstration program that would be known as the Regional Center Excellence in Community Autism Partnerships (RE CAP) program to provide improved services, supports, interventions, and other resources to assist individuals with autism spectrum disorders, and their families, who are regional center consumers and who reside in underserved communities, as specified. The bill would authorize the department to contract with a University of California or California State University campus to serve as a coordinating center to develop the program. The bill would authorize the coordinating center to establish guidelines by which regional centers participating in the program would implement measures in underserved communities, in a linguistically and culturally competent manner, to promote awareness and reduce the stigma associated with autism, improve the early screening, diagnosis, and assessment of autism, and increase access to evidence-based interventions and treatments for autism, as specified.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   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 be known as the Regional Center Excellence in Community Autism Partnerships (RE CAP), may be established pursuant to this section. If RE CAP is established, it 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.
(b) The department may contract with a University of California or California State University campus to serve as a coordinating center to develop the RE CAP program.
(c) The coordinating center may 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 goals and objectives in a linguistically and culturally competent manner:
(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.
(d) Participation of the regional centers shall be on a voluntary basis.
(e) 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 to the coordinating center or the regional centers for these purposes.
(f) 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.