4435.1. (Amended by Stats. 2026, Ch. 80, Sec. 12.)

(a) It is the intent of the Legislature to provide more statewide uniformity and consistency and promote equity in the administrative practices and services of regional centers, consistent with the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act (Division 4.5 (commencing with Section 4500)), as specified in this section.

(b) (1) No later than June 30, 2024, the department shall establish common data definitions that shall be used to promote service access and equity in all regional center services and programs. No later than January 1, 2025, regional centers shall start recording the race and ethnicity and preferred language identified by each individual, subject to paragraph (4), at the time of initial intake, assessment, and the individual program plan meeting following the individual’s 18th birthday. Individuals have the right to update their demographic information at any time.

(2) The categories for race and ethnicity shall be based on the latest categories adopted by the United States Core Data for Interoperability set forth by the United States Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.

(3) “Preferred language” means the language chosen by the applicant or individual, or, when appropriate, the individual’s parent, legal guardian or conservator, or authorized representative.

(4) This section does not compel an individual, their parent, their legal guardian or conservator, or their authorized representative to provide requested information regarding the race, ethnicity, or preferred language of any of those persons.

(5) The data requirements described in this subdivision shall be integrated with the Life Outcomes Improvement System (LOIS), as established pursuant to Section 4519.1.

(c) (1) No later than June 30, 2025, the department shall establish standardized processes, including standardized templates, for assessing a consumer’s need for respite services. Regional centers shall implement these standardized processes no later than January 1, 2026.

(2) The processes shall include a requirement that the regional center obtain information about respite needs from family members and, when appropriate, from other caregivers. The information obtained from these standardized processes shall be considered by the individual’s individual program planning team.

(3) Regional centers shall make any modifications to their purchase-of-service policies as necessary for implementation of this subdivision.

(e) (1) No later than June 30, 2025, the department shall establish standardized vendorization procedures. These procedures may include, but are not limited to, standardized vendorization forms and requirements to streamline vendorization elements, including when services are provided through more than one regional center. Regional centers shall implement these standardized vendorization procedures and provide updated vendor lists to the department on a quarterly basis no later than January 1, 2026.

(2) No later than March 1, 2028, in consultation with stakeholders, the department shall issue guidance to regional centers on maintaining necessary quality assurance oversight of service providers, special incident reporting, provider directory structure, and rate controls while removing barriers to statewide accessibility of services, including ending the practice and process currently known as courtesy vendorization. Service providers shall give preference to providing services to individuals served by the service provider’s initially vendorizing regional center. This section does not require a regional center to refer individuals to any specific service provider

(f) (1) No later than January 1, 2025, the department shall establish a standardized intake process consistent with the requirements and timelines specified in Section 4642.

(2) No later than June 30, 2025, and to the extent allowed by current data systems, regional centers shall report to the department, quarterly as described in paragraph (4), the number of assessments and the length of time that it took to determine eligibility.

(3) The department shall include all of the following information in LOIS:

(A) The number of individuals for whom intake was requested.

(B) The outcome of that intake, including whether an assessment was determined to be necessary.

(C) The length of time that it took to complete the assessment.

(D) The number of notices of action sent pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 4642.

(4) Regional centers shall report the data described in this subdivision to the department on a quarterly basis, based on the criteria specified in paragraphs (1) to (5), inclusive, of subdivision (a) of Section 4519.5.

(g) The department shall develop the standardized processes specified in this section with input from stakeholders, including consumers and families, who reflect the demographic diversity of California, to the extent practicable. In developing the standardized processes specified in this section, the department shall address barriers that may impact access to services.

(h) Notwithstanding Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, the department may implement, interpret, or make specific this section through written directives until regulations are effective.

(i) As part of its quarterly updates to the Legislature pursuant to Section 4474.17, the department shall provide information on the status of implementation of this section.