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Committee advances bill requiring regional centers to document service denials and appeals in client plans
Summary
AB 1220 (presented by Assemblymember Arambula) was advanced to the Appropriations Committee as amended. The bill would require regional centers and the Department of Developmental Services to track and include denials, notices of action, and appeals data in individual program plans and annual reports to improve transparency.
Assemblymember Arambula presented AB 1220, which would require regional centers to document service denials, notices of action, and appeals in clients’ individual program plans and require the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) and regional centers to include aggregated data about denials and appeals in annual reports.
Patricia Albano, a parent and member of El Arte California Coalition, testified in support and described experiences families face when services are denied and those denials are not documented. She said families are often left “with no recourse and without guidance as to how to appeal these decisions,” and urged the committee to adopt the bill to increase transparency and accountability.
An advocate in support, Jeffrey Tartaglia (California for SSI Coalition), also offered testimony. No witnesses testified in opposition during the hearing. Committee members thanked the author and supporters for bringing data and family perspectives to the discussion and expressed that tracking denials could help address service disparities.
The committee voted to pass AB 1220, as amended, to the Appropriations Committee. The motion to do pass as amended was moved by Senator Becker and recorded with affirmative votes during roll call; the committee placed the bill on call and later reported it out to Appropriations as described in the clerk’s summary.
