BILL NUMBER: AB 1386	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Price

                        FEBRUARY 23, 2007

   An act to add Section 12300.15 to the Welfare and Institutions
Code, relating to public social services.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1386, as introduced, Price. Public social services: assistance
during health-related and alternative site appointments.
   Existing law provides for the county-administered In-Home
Supportive Services (IHSS) program, under which qualified aged,
blind, and disabled persons are provided with services in order to
permit them to remain in their own homes and avoid
institutionalization.
   Existing law permits services to be provided under the IHSS
program either through the employment of individual providers, a
contract between the county and an entity for the provision of
services, the creation by the county of a public authority, or a
contract between the county and a nonprofit consortium. Under
existing law, supportive services are defined to include
accompaniment of a service recipient by a provider when needed during
necessary travel to health-related appointments or to alternative
resource sites.
   This bill would define the scope of accompaniment to a
health-related appointment for purposes of these provisions.
   Existing law requires the department, in consultation with
counties, to develop a standardized curriculum, training materials,
and work aids, and operate an ongoing statewide training program, on
specified matters related to the provision of in-home supportive
services.
   This bill would require the department to develop a standardized
curriculum and training materials, and to provide statewide training,
on the components of the medical accompaniment task.
   To the extent that it would require a county to perform new duties
with respect to the IHSS program, this bill would impose a
state-mandated local program.
   The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local
agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the
state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that
reimbursement.
   This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates
determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state,
reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these
statutory provisions.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: yes.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 12300.15 is added to the Welfare and
Institutions Code, to read:
   12300.15.  (a) For purposes of this article, to the extent
permitted by federal law and regulations, accompaniment by a provider
to a health-related appointment shall include the actual amount of
time when the in-home supportive services provider's presence is
required or needed to accomplish the travel to and from the
appointment and to provide necessary assistance during the
appointment.
   (b) The department shall develop a standardized curriculum and
training materials, and shall provide statewide training on the
components of the medical accompaniment task, as described in
subdivision (a), within the scope of training required pursuant to
subdivision (e) of Section 12305.7.
   (c) (1) The department shall adopt regulations to implement this
section by March 30, 2009.
   (2) The department shall seek input from those entities listed in
Section 12305.72 when developing regulations for the implementation
of this section.
  SEC. 2.  If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this
act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local
agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant
to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of
the Government Code.