(a) (1) All parental fees collected by or for regional centers shall be remitted to the State Treasury to be deposited in the Developmental Disabilities Program Development Fund, which is hereby created in the State Treasury and hereinafter called the Program Development Fund. The purpose of the Program Development Fund shall be to provide resources needed to initiate new programs, and to expand or convert existing programs. Within the context of, and consistent with, approved priorities for program development in the state plan, program development funds shall promote integrated residential, work, instructional, social, civic, volunteer, and recreational services and supports that increase opportunities for self-determination and maximize independence of persons with developmental disabilities. Notwithstanding any other law or regulation, commencing July 1, 2009, parental fees remitted to the State Treasury shall be deposited in accordance with Section 4784.
(2) An allocation from the Program Development Fund shall not be granted for more than 24 months.
(b) (1) The State Council on Developmental Disabilities shall, at least once every five years, request from all regional centers information on the types and amounts of services and supports needed, but currently unavailable.
(2) The state council shall work collaboratively with the department and the Association of Regional Center Agencies to develop standardized forms and protocols that shall be used by all regional centers and the state council in collecting and reporting this information. In addition to identifying services and supports that are needed, but currently unavailable, the forms and protocols shall also solicit input and suggestions on alternative and innovative service delivery models that would address consumer needs.
(3) In addition to the information provided pursuant to paragraph (2), the state council may utilize information from other sources, including, but not limited to, public hearings, quality assurance assessments conducted pursuant to Section 4571, regional center reports on alternative service delivery submitted to the department pursuant to Section 4669.2, and the annual report on self-directed services produced pursuant to Section 4685.7.
(4) The department shall provide additional information, as requested by the state council.
(5) Based on the information provided by the regional centers and other agencies, the state council shall develop an assessment of the need for new, expanded, or converted community services and supports, and make that assessment available to the public. The assessment shall include a discussion of the type and amount of services and supports necessary but currently unavailable including the impact on consumers with common characteristics, including, but not limited to, disability, specified geographic regions, age, and ethnicity, who face distinct challenges. The assessment shall highlight alternative and innovative service delivery models identified through their assessment process.
(6) This needs assessment shall be conducted at least once every five years and updated annually. The assessment shall be included in the state plan and shall be provided to the department and to the appropriate committees of the Legislature. The assessment and annual updates shall be made available to the public. The state council, in consultation with the department, shall make a recommendation to the Department of Finance as to the level of funding for program development to be included in the Governor’s Budget, based upon this needs assessment.
(c) In addition to parental fees and General Fund appropriations, the Program Development Fund may be augmented by federal funds available to the state for program development purposes, when these funds are allotted to the Program Development Fund in the state plan. The Program Development Fund is available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the department, and subject to allocations that may be made in the annual Budget Act. These funds shall not revert to the General Fund.
(d) Notwithstanding any other requirement of this section, and to the extent appropriated for this purpose in the annual Budget Act, the department may allocate funds from the Program Development Fund for the purpose of funding projects approved pursuant to Section 4679.
(e) The deposit of federal moneys into the Program Development Fund shall not be construed as requiring the State Department of Developmental Services to comply with a definition of “developmental disabilities” and “services for persons with developmental disabilities” other than as specified in subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 4512 for the purposes of determining eligibility for developmental services or for allocating parental fees and state general funds deposited in the Program Development Fund.
(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 92, Sec. 223. (SB 1289) Effective January 1, 2019.)