§ 4679 (operative October 1, 2026)

(a) In any year for which funding is available, to address the needs for services and supports of individuals living in the community, the department shall issue guidelines, including procedures and timelines, for the use of the available funds appropriated through the budget process for community resource development plans described in Section 4418.25. These guidelines shall include requirements that funds be expended in a manner consistent with the principles of person-centered planning and that funded services be culturally and linguistically appropriate to the population served by the regional center.

(b) Each year, the department shall engage with regional centers and community partners in a public meeting to inform the development of the guidelines. Priorities for funding shall include, but are not limited to, safety net services and supports that reduce reliance on the secure treatment program at Porterville Developmental Center, Canyon Springs Community Facility, institutions for mental disease, other restrictive settings in the community for which federal funding is not available, and out-of-state placements. Priorities for funding shall also include the development of community supports as determined by regional centers and community partners.

(c) Data from a centralized database that contains records of all authorized service providers across California’s 21 regional centers, referred to as the “Provider Directory,” shall be considered to inform the guidelines and the allocation and expenditure of community resource development plan funds for developing, expanding, or enhancing community-based services and supports.

(d) (1) Pursuant to the guidelines established under this section, regional centers shall develop community resources that address the priorities identified in subdivision (b) using funding allocated to each regional center by the department.

(2) Proposals for the use of community resource development plan funds shall include justifications for the funding requests, including quantitative data, and shall also include a description of how the regional center shall monitor resource development and assess outcomes. The department shall review, negotiate, and approve all regional center community resource development plans for feasibility and reasonableness.

(3) Regional centers shall report on the outcomes of approved plans to the department in a manner and format to be determined by the department.

(4) The department shall hold regional centers accountable for the development and implementation of approved plans. The department shall make the following data for each regional center available upon request:

(A) Data regarding admissions to, and placements from, each state-operated facility or program.

(B) Aggregate performance data.

(e) (1) The department shall post a list, including descriptions, of projects for which it has allocated funding pursuant to this section on its internet website.

(2) Each regional center shall post its department-approved plan on its internet website.

(3) Regional centers shall report quarterly to the department on the progress of each project.

(f) This section shall become operative on October 1, 2026.

(Repealed (in Sec. 7) and added by Stats. 2026, Ch. 253, Sec. 8. (AB 175) Effective September 18, 2026. Operative October 1, 2026, by its own provisions.)