AB 136 Summary

• Expands licensing and regulation of Group Homes for Children with Special Health Care Needs (GHCSHNs) to serve up to five children with developmental disabilities requiring 24-hour health care and intensive support services in homelike settings, with requirements for fire sprinklers, alternative power sources, staffing, and individual health care plans.

• Makes the Self-Determination Program available to all eligible regional center consumers as of July 1, 2021, allowing participants greater flexibility and control over their individual budgets, choice of services, and support workers through person-centered planning.

• Implements rate reform for service providers between April 1, 2022, and July 1, 2025, with phased increases toward fully-funded rate models subject to a quality incentive program based on outcome measures and consumer satisfaction.

• Establishes provisional eligibility for regional center services for children ages 3-4 with significant functional limitations in multiple areas of major life activity, with reassessment required before turning five years old.

• Requires remote meetings for individualized family service plans and individual program plan meetings upon request through June 30, 2022, and mandates enhanced language access, cultural competency training, and implicit bias training for regional center staff and service providers.