General Provisions - California Early Intervention Services Act - Government - CA

Section § 95000

This section states that the official name for the legal provisions related to early intervention services in California is the 'California Early Intervention Services Act.'

This title may be cited as the California Early Intervention Services Act.

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Section § 95001

This law emphasizes the importance of providing early intervention services to infants and toddlers up to age two who have disabilities or are at risk of developing them. It highlights that these services help improve development, reduce future educational costs, and assist families in supporting their children's special needs. The statute underscores the need for family-professional collaboration, coordinated state and local services, and cultural responsiveness. It intends for federal funds, such as those from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, to be used to enhance these services.

The law also outlines roles for various state departments, encourages natural and community-based service environments, and stresses maintaining high-quality standards. It emphasizes families being informed decision-makers and professionals receiving ongoing support and training. Public input is encouraged through an interagency council to ensure program quality and responsiveness.

(a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following:

(1) There is a need to provide appropriate early intervention services individually designed for infants and toddlers from birth to two years of age, inclusive, who have disabilities or are at risk of having disabilities, to enhance their development and to minimize the potential for developmental delays.

(2) Early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities or who are at risk of having disabilities represent an investment of resources, in that these services reduce the ultimate costs to our society, by minimizing the need for special education and related services in later school years and by minimizing the likelihood of institutionalization. These services also maximize the ability of families to better provide for the special needs of their children. Early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities maximize the potential of the individuals to be effective in the context of daily life and activities, including the potential to live independently, and exercise the full rights of citizenship. The earlier intervention is started, the greater is the ultimate cost-effectiveness and the higher is the educational attainment and quality of life achieved by children with disabilities.

(3) The family is the constant in the child’s life, while the service system and personnel within those systems fluctuate. Because the primary responsibility of an infant’s or toddler’s well-being rests with the family, services should support and enhance the family’s capability to meet the special developmental needs of their infant or toddler with disabilities.

(4) Family-to-family support strengthens families’ ability to fully participate in services planning and their capacity to care for their infants or toddlers with disabilities.

(5) Meeting the complex needs of infants with disabilities and their families requires active state and local coordinated, collaborative, and accessible service delivery systems that are flexible, culturally competent, and responsive to family-identified needs. When health, developmental, educational, and social programs are coordinated, they are proven to be cost effective, not only for systems, but for families as well.

(6) Family-professional collaboration contributes to changing the ways that early intervention services are provided and to enhancing their effectiveness.

(7) Infants and toddlers with disabilities are a part of their communities, and as citizens make valuable contributions to society as a whole.

(b) Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature that:

(1) Funding provided under Part C of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1431 et seq.) be used to improve and enhance early intervention services as defined in this title by developing innovative ways of providing family focused, coordinated services, which are built upon existing systems.

(2) The State Department of Developmental Services, the State Department of Education, the State Department of Health Care Services, and the State Department of Social Services coordinate services to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. These agencies need to collaborate with families and communities to provide a family-centered, comprehensive, multidisciplinary, interagency, community-based, early intervention system for infants and toddlers with disabilities.

(3) Families be well informed, supported, and respected as capable and collaborative decisionmakers regarding services for their child.

(4) Professionals be supported to enhance their training and maintain a high level of expertise in their field, as well as knowledge of what constitutes most effective early intervention practices.

(5) Families and professionals join in collaborative partnerships to develop early intervention services that meet the needs of infants and toddlers with disabilities, and that those partnerships be the basis for the development of services that meet the needs of the culturally and linguistically diverse population of California.

(6) To the maximum extent possible, infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families be provided services in the most natural environment, and include the use of natural supports and existing community resources.

(7) The services delivery system be responsive to the families and children it serves within the context of cooperation and coordination among the various agencies.

(8) Early intervention program quality be ensured and maintained through established early intervention program and personnel standards.

(9) The early intervention system be responsive to public input and participation in the development of implementation policies and procedures for early intervention services through the forum of an interagency coordinating council established pursuant to federal regulations under Part C of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

(c) It is not the intent of the Legislature to require the State Department of Education to implement this title unless adequate reimbursement, as specified and agreed to by the department, is provided to the department from federal funds from Part C of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

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Section § 95001.5

This law ensures that members of the interagency coordinating council do not participate in votes where they might receive a direct financial advantage or where there's a potential conflict of interest. Essentially, they must abstain from voting on such matters to maintain fairness and integrity.

In order to prevent any potential conflict of interest and pursuant to Section 303.604 of Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations, no member of the interagency coordinating council may cast a vote on any matter that would provide direct financial benefit to that member or otherwise give the appearance of a conflict of interest.

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Section § 95002

This law aims to establish a statewide system in California to offer coordinated and comprehensive programs. These programs are family-centered and involve multiple disciplines and agencies. The goal is to provide early intervention services and support to eligible infants and toddlers, along with their families.

The purpose of this title is to provide a statewide system of coordinated, comprehensive, family-centered, multidisciplinary, interagency programs, responsible for providing appropriate early intervention services and support to all eligible infants and toddlers and their families.

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Section § 95003

This law outlines California's conditions for participating in Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which involves providing services to infants and toddlers with disabilities. Participation is dependent on receiving enough federal funds to cover new obligations. If federal funding isn't enough, and would require extra state or local funds, the state must end its involvement after proper notification. Termination notices must be given to local agencies by March 10 to be effective by July 1 of the current year; otherwise, it will be July 1 of the following year. The State aims for a smooth transition if ending participation is necessary. The law remains effective until participation stops, at which point the State Department of Developmental Services handles remaining payment responsibilities.

(a) The state’s participation in Part C of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1431 et seq.) shall be contingent on the receipt of federal funds to cover the costs of complying with the federal statutes and regulations that impose new requirements on the state. The State Department of Developmental Services and the State Department of Education annually shall report to the Department of Finance during preparation of the Governor’s Budget, and the May Revision, the budget year costs and federal funds projected to be available.

(b) If the amount of funding provided by the federal government pursuant to Part C of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for the 1993–94 fiscal year, or any fiscal year thereafter, is not sufficient to fund the full increased costs of participation in this federal program by the local educational agencies, as required pursuant to this title, for infants and toddlers from birth to two years of age, inclusive, identified pursuant to Section 95014, and that lack of federal funding would require an increased contribution from the General Fund or a contribution from a local educational agency in order to fund those required and supplemental costs, the state shall terminate its participation in the program. Termination of the program shall occur on July 1 if local educational agencies have been notified of the termination prior to March 10 of that calendar year. If this notification is provided after March 10 of a calendar year, then termination shall not occur earlier than July 1 of the subsequent calendar year. The voluntary contribution by a state or local agency of funding for any of the programs or services required pursuant to this title shall not constitute grounds for terminating the state’s participation in that federal program. It is the intent of the Legislature that if the program terminates, the termination shall be carried out in an orderly manner with notification of parents and certificated personnel.

(c) This title shall remain in effect only until the state terminates its participation in Part C of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for individuals from birth to two years of age, inclusive, and notifies the Secretary of the Senate of the termination, and as of that later date is repealed. As the lead agency, the State Department of Developmental Services, upon notification by the Department of Finance or the State Department of Education as to the insufficiency of federal funds and the termination of this program, shall be responsible for the payment of services pursuant to this title when no other agency or department is required to make these payments.

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Section § 95004

This law outlines how early intervention services for young children with disabilities in California should be delivered. Services must be provided through existing regional centers and local education agencies following specific laws and regulations, including the Lanterman Act and the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Regional centers must follow certain state regulations unless it causes delays in services, in which case immediate service provision can be authorized. The use of private health insurance shouldn't limit or affect the coverage available to children with disabilities. Family resource centers are vital for supporting families through various services. The state's existing financial obligations for these services will not be expanded, and services must align with federal regulations.

The early intervention services specified in this title shall be provided as follows:

(a) Direct services for eligible infants and toddlers and their families shall be provided pursuant to the existing regional center system under the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act (Division 4.5 (commencing with Section 4500) of the Welfare and Institutions Code) and the existing local education agency system under appropriate sections of Part 30 (commencing with Section 56000) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code and regulations adopted pursuant thereto, and Part C of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1431 et seq.).

(b)

(1) In providing services under this title, regional centers shall comply with the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act (Division 4.5 (commencing with Section 4500) of the Welfare and Institutions Code), and its implementing regulations (Division 2 (commencing with Section 50201) of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations), including, but not limited to, those provisions relating to vendorization and ratesetting, except if compliance with those provisions would result in any delays in the provision of early intervention, or otherwise conflict with this title and the regulations implementing this title (Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 52000) of Division 2 of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations), or Part C of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1431 et seq.), and applicable federal regulations contained in Part 303 (commencing with Section 303.1) of Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Notwithstanding any other law or regulation, private health insurance for medical services or a health care service plan identified in the individualized family service plan, other than for evaluation and assessment, shall be used in compliance with applicable federal and state law and regulation.

(2) When compliance with this subdivision would result in any delays in the provision of early intervention services for the provision of any of these services, the department may authorize a regional center to use a special service code that allows immediate procurement of the service.

(c) The use of private health insurance or a health care service plan to pay for early intervention services under Part C of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1431 et seq.) shall not:

(1) Count towards or result in a loss of benefits due to the annual or lifetime health insurance or health care service plan coverage caps for the infant or toddler with a disability, the parent, or the child’s family members who are covered under that health insurance policy or health care service plan contract.

(2) Negatively affect the availability of health coverage for the infant or toddler with a disability, the parent, or the child’s family members who are covered under that health insurance policy or health care service plan contract, or result in a discontinuance of the health insurance policy or the health care service plan contract or coverage under the health insurance policy or health care service plan contract for these individuals.

(3) Be the basis for increasing the health insurance or health care service plan premium of the infant or toddler with a disability, the parent, or the child’s family members covered under that health insurance policy or health care service plan contract.

(d) Services shall be provided by family resource centers that provide, but are not limited to, parent-to-parent support, information dissemination and referral, public awareness, family professional collaboration activities, and transition assistance for families.

(e) Existing obligations of the state to provide these services at state expense shall not be expanded.

(f) It is the intent of the Legislature that services be provided in accordance with Sections 303.124, 303.126, and 303.527 of Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

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