2023 SCDD LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Below is a list of bills that the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities supported this year and their current status.

CIVIL RIGHTS: 1 of 4

BILL: AB 248 (Mathis) Individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities: The Dignity for All Act

WHAT THE BILL WILL DO: Replaces outdated terms used in law to describe individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities to "individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities." Example: The "R" word

SCDD POSITION: Support

STATUS: PASSED – Signed by the Governor

CIVIL RIGHTS: 2 of 4

BILL: AB 545 (Pellerin) Access for Voter with Disabilities

WHAT THE BILL WILL DO: Would make accessible voting more available by requiring all in-person voting locations to offer curbside voting.

SCDD POSITION: Support

STATUS: PASSED – Signed by the Governor

CIVIL RIGHTS: 3 of 4

BILL: SB 544 (Laird) Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act – Teleconferencing

WHAT THE BILL WILL DO: Promotes accessibility of public meetings, making it easier for people with disabilities to meaningfully participate in public meetings.

SCDD POSITION: Support (formerly a "watch" bill we changed to support)

STATUS: PASSED – Signed by the Governor

CIVIL RIGHTS: 4 of 4

BILL: AB 222 (Arambula) Civil Rights Department: Californians with Disabilities Workgroup

WHAT THE BILL WILL DO: Creates a workgroup to improve employment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. (Disability Rights California – Sponsor)

SCDD POSITION: Support

STATUS: Became a 2-year bill, not moving this year.

EDUCATION: 1 of 4

BILL: AB 447 (Arambula) Inclusive Higher Education Act

WHAT THE BILL WILL DO: Encourages more inclusive college programs at UC and CSU. This bill is currently the same as the bill we sponsored last year, AB 2920.

SCDD POSITION: Support

STATUS: PASSED – Signed by the Governor

EDUCATION: 2 of 4

BILL: AB 624 (Grayson) Public postsecondary education: Disabled student services: Assessments

WHAT THE BILL WILL DO: Students who seek accommodations in college are required to submit assessments. This bill requires the colleges to cover the costs of these assessments.

SCDD POSITION: Support

STATUS: VETOED by the Governor

EDUCATION: 3 of 4

BILL: AB 87 (Quirk-Silva) Special education: Section 504 plans: Team meetings

WHAT THE BILL WILL DO: Allows audio recording of individualized education program (IEP) team meetings by a parent, guardian, or local educational agency to team meetings for pupils with an adopted plan. (Disability Rights California – Sponsor)

SCDD POSITION: Support

STATUS: PASSED – Signed by the Governor

EDUCATION: 4 of 4

BILL: SB 483 (Cortese) Prone Restraints

WHAT THE BILL WILL DO: Would prohibit the use of prone restraint, which physically or mechanically restrains students in a face down position. Unfortunately, prone restraint is often used on students with disabilities. (Disability Rights California – Sponsor)

SCDD POSITION: Support

STATUS: Became a 2-year bill, not moving this year.

HOUSING: 1 of 3

BILL: AB 1097 (Luz Rivas) Credit history of persons receiving government rent subsidies

WHAT THE BILL WILL DO: Bill would prohibit the use of a person's credit history as part of the application process for a rental housing accommodation without offering the applicant the option of providing alternative evidence of ability to pay when applying for a government rent subsidy.

STATUS: REMOVED from SCDD support list. Bill became a tax law bill.

HOUSING: 2 of 3

BILL: SB 37 (Caballero) Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities Housing Stability Act

WHAT THE BILL WILL DO: Provide cash assistance to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities that are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

SCDD POSITION: Support

STATUS: Became a 2-year bill—not moving this year.

HOUSING: 3 of 3

BILL: SB 246 (Ochoa-Bogh) California Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH)

WHAT THE BILL WILL DO: Bill adds a representative from SCDD to the California Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH) so that ICH can have the perspective of those with intellectual and developmental disabilities who have experienced homelessness.

SCDD POSITION: Support

STATUS: Bill failed in Appropriations—but may come back next year.

HUMAN SERVICES: 1 of 4

BILL: AB 1568 (Wood) Independent living skills services: rates

WHAT THE BILL WILL DO: Improve access to independent living skills services. Requires the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) to implement a rate setting procedure for state payment of independent living skills services. Requires these services to include functional skills training such as cooking, money management, use of medical, and dental services, and would prohibit those services from being conducted in a center-based environment.

SCDD POSITION: Support

STATUS: Bill failed in Appropriations—but may come back next year.

HUMAN SERVICES: 2 of 4

BILL: AB 1147 (Addis/Garcia) Disability Equity and Accountability Act of 2023

WHAT THE BILL WILL DO: Increases oversight of regional center operations and performance.

SCDD POSITION: Support

STATUS: Ordered to inactive file by Senator Menjivar but may come back next year.

HUMAN SERVICES: 3 of 4

BILL: AB 244 (Wilson) Specialized Inclusivity Training for Childcare Staff Grant Program

WHAT THE BILL WILL DO: This bill would establish the Specialized Inclusivity Training for Child-Care Staff Grant Program. The grants would train staff on including children with disabilities and collect data from child-care centers and family child-care homes to confirm the effectiveness of the training.

SCDD POSITION: Support

STATUS: Failed deadline in Assembly house

HUMAN SERVICES: 4 of 4

BILL: SB 271 (Dodd) Wheelchair Repair

WHAT THE BILL WILL DO: By requiring manufacturers to provide information, tools, and replacement parts to an owner or an independent repair provider—this bill would increase accessibility and affordability for wheelchair users, making it easier for consumers to maintain their devices and keep them in good working condition.

SCDD POSITION: Support

STATUS: VETOED by the Governor

PUBLIC SAFETY: 1 of 3

BILL: AB 1567 (Principal Authors: Eduardo Garcia, Wendy Carrillo, Connolly, Friedman, and Papan) Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparation, Flood Protection, Extreme Heat Mitigation, and Workforce Development Bond Act of 2023

WHAT THE BILL WILL DO: Provide technical assistance to disadvantaged communities or vulnerable populations, including those with access and functional needs, during different types of emergencies.

SCDD POSITION: Support

STATUS: Failed deadline in Committee

PUBLIC SAFETY: 2 of 3

BILL: AB 280 (Holden) Segregated Confinement

WHAT THE BILL WILL DO: Bill would prohibit facilities from forcing an individual into confinement if they are in a designated population, including, that the individual has a mental or physical disability or that the individual is under age 26 or over age 59. (Disability Rights California – Sponsor)

SCDD POSITION: Support

STATUS: Ordered to Inactive file by Senator Holden—may come back next year.

PUBLIC SAFETY: 3 of 3

BILL: AB 946 (Nguyen) Emergency services: Endangered Missing Advisory

WHAT THE BILL WILL DO: It would include people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to the California Highway Patrol (CHP) Endangered Missing Advisory.

SCDD POSITION: Support

STATUS: PASSED – Signed by the Governor

If you have questions about any of the bills listed above, please contact the SCDD Policy and Public Affairs unit at Policy@scdd.ca.gov.

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