California releases developmental services master plan draft after yearlong community process

A yearlong, community-driven effort to craft a master plan for developmental services in California will result in a final draft published this Friday, state officials told the Assembly Budget Subcommittee 2 on Human Services.

Victor Duran, chief deputy director for the Department of Rehabilitation and project director for the master plan, told the panel the effort produced about 70 recommendations and emphasized that "the recommendations in the master plan are a reflection of the diverse voices of community and their vision for a future for Californians with developmental disabilities." Duran said the plan prioritized plain language and equity.

The master plan process included a 38-member steering committee, five work groups with nearly 100 members total, and 45 community engagement sessions across the state, Duran said. Pete Chervink, director of the Department of Developmental Services, told the committee the plan will be "embedded in all of the work that we do going forward" and that the administration intends to use the plan to inform ongoing programs and policy work.

Both administration officials and Legislative Analyst Office (LAO) staff told the committee that the plan, developed under statutory direction, documents broad community recommendations but was not filtered for legal or budget feasibility before publication. Karina Hendren of the LAO said the plan includes recommendations that could require changes to existing law — for example, proposals affecting the Lanterman Act — and recommended the Administration provide the Legislature with technical analysis translating recommendations into feasible budget and policy options.

Self-advocates, regional center representatives and disability rights groups who participated in the process urged concrete steps to implement and monitor the plan. Oscar Mercado, a self-advocate and member of the master plan committee, pressed the Legislature and administration to "categorize and prioritize all 170 recommendations" and to establish a stakeholder implementation committee to monitor execution and maintain community accountability.

Officials described near-term steps to keep the plan active: twice-yearly convenings of the stakeholder committee and a requirement for an annual report to the Legislature each March beginning next year on the master plan's implementation. Chervink said the Administration expects to use the plan to inform ongoing initiatives — from intake standardization to employment and housing coordination — and that Secretary Johnson of the California Health and Human Services Agency has invited agency directors to briefings on the plan's implications for their programs.

The LAO recommended the Legislature ask the Administration to explain how the development process aligned with legislative intent, and to provide a roadmap and costing for high-priority recommendations so the Legislature can exercise oversight and budget authority. Committee Chair Dr. Jackson said she expects staff and LAO assistance drafting potential trailer-bill language or reporting requirements to keep implementation on track during the budget cycle.

The master plan was repeatedly described to the committee as a starting point rather than a ready-to-implement package: administration witnesses said they did not filter recommendations for feasibility and the LAO recommended the Administration provide further detail on statutory or fiscal changes needed to enact specific items. The committee signaled interest in focusing on near-term, high-impact priorities during the 2025–26 budget process.