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Assembly panel splits on removing private accreditation for regional‑center employment programs; measure fails in committee
Summary
AB 1335 would remove the requirement that regional center vendored employment programs obtain CARF accreditation and place oversight solely with the state and regional centers. Supporters argued the outside accreditation is duplicative and costly; opponents warned removing the check would erode quality. The committee did not advance the bill.
Assemblymember Gonzales presented AB 1335, which would eliminate an outside accreditation requirement (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, CARF) for regional center vendored employment providers and instead rely on state standards and oversight.
Supporters from provider organizations described the accreditation process as expensive and duplicative of state quality controls. Andrea Crone, Executive Director at Alliance, said her agency had spent tens of thousands of dollars and many staff hours preparing for CARF reviews and argued those resources would be better directed to direct services. "The burdens not only strain established providers ... but are significant hurdles for smaller organizations that might not be able to sustain the cost associated with maintaining this accreditation," Crone said.
Opponents, including at least one committee member, warned that dropping third‑party accreditation could reduce quality assurance for services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Chair Lee said he "respectfully disagree[d]" with the bill and would recommend a no vote, citing concerns about eroding trust and oversight in the employment space.
The committee recorded a vote that did not advance the bill; the final committee tally in the minutes shows the measure failed to pass out of committee.
