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

(1) The Legislature places a high priority on promoting the full inclusion and independence of individuals with developmental disabilities, including through opportunities for recreation, consistent with Section 4501 and paragraphs (6) and (7) of subdivision (b) of Section 4502.

(2)  As such, it is the intent of the Legislature for social recreation services, camping services, and nonmedical therapies, including, but not limited to, specialized recreation, art, dance, and music, to be made widely available to consumers, not only for socialization, but to lead the lives they want in the community.

(3) It is further the intent of the Legislature to prioritize increasing access to those services, especially for consumers who are children, subject to disparities in the receipt of regional center services, or unable to afford paying for services upfront and awaiting reimbursement.

(4) It is further the intent of the Legislature for regional centers to prioritize access to those services, not only by referring consumers and their families to existing opportunities for social recreation services and camping services, but also by funding those services directly along with the supports they may need to access them, increasing the availability of vendors, and expediting vendorizations accordingly.

(5) It is further the intent of the Legislature for the department to prioritize and expedite any policies, procedures, or written directives that may be necessary to facilitate regional center efforts to increase access, collect data, or track expenditures pertaining to these services.

(b) Effective July 1, 2023, a regional center shall not require a consumer or family member to do any of the following:

(1) Exhaust services under the In-Home Supportive Services program (Article 7 (commencing with Section 12300) of Chapter 3 of Part 3 of Division 9) in order for their regional center to consider funding or to authorize purchasing social recreation services, camping services, and nonmedical therapies, including, but not limited to, specialized recreation, art, dance, and music.

(2) Exchange respite hours or any other service or support authorized by the regional center for service hours of social recreation services, camping services, or nonmedical therapies, including, but not limited to, specialized recreation, art, dance, and music, as a condition of service authorization by the regional center of social recreation services, camping services, and nonmedical therapies.

(3) Pay a copayment, or a similar shared pay arrangement aimed at offsetting costs, in order to receive social recreation services, camping services, or nonmedical therapies, including, but not limited to, specialized recreation, art, dance, and music.

(c) Notwithstanding the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code), the department may implement the provision of social recreation services, camping services, and nonmedical therapies, including, but not limited to, specialized recreation, art, dance, and music, by means of written directives or similar instructions consistent with this section, including, but not limited to, the provision of those services as participant-directed services.

(Added by Stats. 2023, Ch. 44, Sec. 21. (AB 121) Effective July 10, 2023.)