CA AB 617

Title: Developmental services: personal care or assistance and in-home respite services.
Author: Tina McKinnor

Summary
AB 617, as amended, McKinnor. Developmental services: personal care or assistance and in-home respite services. Existing law, the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act (Lanterman Act), requires the State Department of Developmental Services to contract with regional centers to provide services and supports to individuals with developmental disabilities through various programs, including personal care or personal assistance services and in-home respite services. Existing law requires the Director of Developmental Services to develop program standards for in-home respite services purchased by regional centers from agencies vendored to provide these services.Existing law establishes the Home Care Services Consumer Protection Act, which provides for the licensure and regulation of home care organizations by the State Department of Social Services, and for the registration of home care aides who provide home care services, as defined, on the home care aide registry. Existing law exempts from these provisions an organization vendored or contracted through a regional center or the State Department of Developmental Services pursuant to the Lanterman Act to provide services and supports for persons with developmental disabilities, as specified. A violation of the act is a misdemeanor.This bill would require, prior to providing personal care or personal assistance services or in-home respite services to a consumer receiving services under the Lanterman Act, an organization vendored or contracted through a regional center or the department to provide personal care or personal assistance services or in-home respite services to a consumer receiving services under the Lanterman Act to be licensed as a home care organization, and an individual who is employed by such an organization to be listed on the home care aide registry, as specified. By expanding the scope of an existing crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.Existing law establishes an Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) program, administered by the California Department of Aging, to provide information to consumers and their families on available long-term services and supports (LTSS) programs and to assist older adults, caregivers, and persons with disabilities in accessing LTSS programs at the local level. Existing law requires the California Department of Aging to administer the ADRC Infrastructure Grants Program for the purpose of implementing a No Wrong Door System, a system that enables consumers to access all LTSS through one agency, organization, coordinated network, or portal. Existing law states the intent of the Legislature that the No Wrong Door System serve seniors and individuals with disabilities by, among other things, providing consumers and their caregivers access to information and services. Existing law also establishes the Aging and Disability Resource Connection Advisory Committee, within the California Department of Aging, as the primary adviser in the implementation of the No Wrong Door System, and authorizes the committee to use the staff of the California Department of Aging to accomplish its purposes.This bill would instead require the committee to use the staff of the California Department of Aging. The bill would also instead require the No Wrong Door System to serve seniors and individuals with disabilities, as specified, and would require, no later than December 31, 2027, the system to also establish a statewide respite referral registry to connect consumers enrolled in the Medi-Cal program with culturally competent, prescreened respite providers, and create and implement a consumer-directed employer program to

Status
Re-referred to Com. on HUM. S. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96.

Bill Documents
CA AB 617 - 03/20/25 - Amended Assembly
03/20/25 - CA AB 617 (03/20/25 - Amended Assembly)