BILL NUMBER: SB 158	ENROLLED
	BILL TEXT

	PASSED THE SENATE  MAY 29, 2013
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY  SEPTEMBER 4, 2013
	AMENDED IN SENATE  MAY 28, 2013
	AMENDED IN SENATE  MARCH 21, 2013

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Correa
   (Coauthor: Senator Beall)

                        FEBRUARY 1, 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.


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.