Bill > SB158

This bill establishes a demonstration program called the Regional Center Excellence in Community Autism Partnerships (RE CAP) to improve services and support for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and their families, particularly those in underserved communities who are consumers of regional centers, which are agencies that provide services to individuals with developmental disabilities. The program, if established, would involve a coordinating center, potentially a University of California or California State University campus, that would develop guidelines and best practices for participating regional centers to promote ASD awareness, improve early screening and diagnosis, and increase access to evidence-based treatments in a culturally and linguistically sensitive way. Participation by regional centers would be voluntary, and the program would be funded through existing regional center resources combined with external funding from foundations and federal sources, with no new state funds allocated. This section of the law would be repealed on January 1, 2019, unless extended by a later statute.