At an Aug. 5 hearing of Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Human Services, the Department of Developmental Services said it is advancing a proposal to standardize regional-center intake eligibility assessments and modernize the client development evaluation report, or CEDAR, used to assess strengths and needs for individual program plans under the Lanterman Act.
The department tied the intake work to SB 138, the 2023 budget law meant to promote more statewide uniformity and equity in regional-center practices. In the hearing summary, DDS said the needs-evaluation process would inform planning and service allocation, not determine eligibility.
Public comment focused on how the proposal should affect people served by California’s developmental-services system. A representative from Disability Rights California said the current process should better support person-centered planning and asked that attorneys of record receive notice of and an opportunity to participate in IPP meetings. Another speaker urged lawmakers to slow or stop the proposal and review it further before moving ahead.
The discussion also turned to people who spend years in developmental centers or other restrictive placements. Speakers cited 14 people at Porterville Developmental Centre who have been there more than 10 years and one person at Canyon Springs Facility who has been there for 19 years. The hearing summary said participants raised questions about community placement, return rights if placements fail, and how much flexibility the state should preserve for people with complex needs.
The record reviewed does not show committee action, a draft proposal, or a timeline for implementation.