SB 5

Bill Subjects

Abstract

Existing law, the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act, requires the State Department of Developmental Services to allocate funds to private nonprofit regional centers for the provision of community services and support for persons with developmental disabilities and their families and sets forth the duties of regional centers in that regard. Existing law requires that contracts between the department and regional centers specify certain coordinator-to-consumer ratios. Existing law also requires these contracts to require the regional center to have, or contract for, expertise in certain areas. This bill would provide that, from February 1, 2009, to June 30, 2010, inclusive, certain coordinator-to-consumer ratio requirements shall not apply and that a regional center shall not be required to have or contract for certain areas of expertise. Existing law requires regional centers, by December 1 of each year, to provide a listing to the department of a complete salary schedule for all personnel classifications used by the regional center and information on all prior fiscal year expenditures, as specified. This bill, from February 1, 2009, to June 30, 2010, inclusive, would suspend the salary schedule reporting requirements. The bill would also provide that regional centers shall not be required to report certain prior fiscal year operations expenditures in 2008 and 2009. The bill would also require regional centers, in order to implement changes in the level of funding for regional center purchase of services, from February 1, 2009, to June 30, 2010, inclusive, to reduce certain payments for services delivered on or after December 1, 2008, by 3%, except as specified. Existing federal law provides for allocation of federal funds through the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant program to eligible states. Existing law provides for the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program under which, through a combination of state and county funds and federal funds received through the TANF program, each county provides cash assistance and other benefits to qualified low-income families. Existing law, with certain exceptions, requires an annual cost-of-living adjustment to be made in maximum aid payments provided to needy families under the CalWORKs program. This bill would provide that no adjustment to the maximum aid payment would be made for the 2009–10 fiscal year. Existing law provides for the State Supplementary Program for the Aged, Blind and Disabled (SSP) , which requires the State Department of Social Services to contract with the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services to make payments to SSP recipients to supplement Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments made available pursuant to the federal Social Security Act. Under existing law, benefit payments under the SSP are calculated by establishing the maximum level of nonexempt income and federal SSI and state SSP benefits for each category of eligible recipient. The state SSP payment is the amount, when added to the nonexempt income and SSI benefits available to the recipient, which would be required to provide the maximum benefit payment. Under existing law, this adjustment becomes effective on January 1 of each year, until the 2010 calendar year, and thereafter, when the adjustment takes effect on June 1. This bill would provide that no benefit adjustment would be made for the 2010 calendar year, and would require the adjustment to be made effective June 1 commencing with the 2011 calendar year and thereafter. Existing law provides that, commencing with the 2004 calendar year and thereafter, in any calendar year in which no cost-of-living adjustment is made to the payment schedules, there shall be a pass along of any cost-of-living increases in federal SSI benefits. This bill would, for the 2009 calendar year, provide for the elimination of the federal pass along commencing April 1, 2009, except as specified. This bill would become operative if either AB 2 or SB 2 and AB 9 or SB 9 of the 2009–10 First Extraordinary Session of the Legislature are chaptered. The California Constitution authorizes the Governor to declare a fiscal emergency and to call the Legislature into special session for that purpose. The Governor issued a proclamation declaring a fiscal emergency, and calling a special session for this purpose, on December 1, 2008. This bill would state that it addresses the fiscal emergency declared by the Governor by proclamation issued on December 1, 2008, pursuant to the California Constitution.