The Legislature hereby finds and declares that individuals with disabilities comprise a large percentage of California’s total population and that action is necessary to assist these individuals in their attempts to live fuller and freer lives outside institutions. To achieve this, it is necessary to:
(a) Provide state funding to maintain the services provided by existing independent living centers and, where feasible, encourage the establishment of new centers which provide services to individuals with disabilities; and
(b) Vest in the Department of Rehabilitation the responsibility and authority for the encouragement of the planning, developing, and funding of independent living centers. The Department of Rehabilitation shall consult with existing independent living centers and the State Independent Living Council in this state regarding funding procedures and decisions.
(Amended by Stats. 1998, Ch. 329, Sec. 46. Effective August 21, 1998.)