4644. (Amended by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1242, Sec. 2.)

(a) In addition to any person eligible for initial intake or assessment services, regional centers may cause to be provided preventive services to any potential parent requesting these services and who is determined to be at high risk of parenting a developmentally disabled infant, or, at the request of the parent or guardian, to any infant at high risk of becoming developmentally disabled. It is the intent of the Legislature that preventive services shall be given equal priority with all other basic regional center services. These services shall, inasmuch as feasible, be provided by appropriate generic agencies, including, but not limited to, county departments of health, perinatal centers, and genetic centers. The department shall implement operating procedures to ensure that prevention activities are funded from regional center purchase of service funds only when funding for these services is unavailable from local generic agencies. In no case, shall regional center funds be used to supplant funds budgeted by any agency which has a responsibility to provide prevention services to the general public.

(b) For purposes of this section, “generic agency” means any agency which has a legal responsibility to serve all members of the general public and which is receiving public funds for providing such services.