(a) There is in the California Health and Human Services Agency the Office of Employment First.

(b) The office’s mission is to coordinate the Employment First Policy, as described in Section 4869, in order to reduce redundancy, ensure coordination of all employment support services across all agencies and departments, avoid fragmentation of services, guide strategic planning, and promote racial equity toward employment for individuals with developmental disabilities.

(c) The office shall have all of the following responsibilities:

(1) Identify and disseminate best practices.

(2) Develop effective strategies for partnerships with entities, including, but not limited to, employers, foundations, advocates, and other entities committed to creating integrated community employment opportunities.

(3) Provide technical assistance, as requested, to develop and implement strategies for equity in employment.

(4) Make recommendations for legislative, regulatory, and policy changes consistent with the Employment First Policy, as described in Section 4869.

(d) The office shall be under the control of an executive officer known as the Chief Employment First Officer who has the authority to do all of the following:

(1) Establish or improve reporting mechanisms to measure the success of employment programs for individuals with developmental disabilities and drive quality improvement.

(2) Monitor progress on employment for individuals with developmental disabilities, including, but not limited to, preparing monitoring instruments and issuing reports.

(3) Link data collection systems across state government entities through the development of a unique identification system.

(4) Track, analyze, and publicize service code utilization and vocational outcomes across the system.

(e) (1) The office shall form a standing Employment First Committee consisting of all of the following members:

(A) At least one designee of each of the members of the State Council on Developmental Disabilities specified in subparagraphs (B), (C), (D), (F), and (H) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 4521.

(B) A member of the consumer advisory committee of the state council.

(2) The responsibilities of the committee shall include, but need not be limited to, identifying ways services can be coordinated by state and local agencies to avoid disconnection of services and to improve accessibility of services.

(f) On or before June 30, 2025, and annually thereafter, the office shall provide a report to the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature and to the Governor describing its work and recommendations made pursuant to this section.

(g) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2024.

(Added by Stats. 2023, Ch. 44, Sec. 28. (AB 121) Effective July 10, 2023. Operative July 1, 2024, by its own provisions.)