Standardizing Regional Center Procedures

Senate Bill 138 directs the Department of Developmental Services to standardize certain regional center procedures to make the experience more equal for people across the state. This Senate Bill 138 Initiatives summary document describes the law’s requirements and provides an update on the work being done to meet the requirements.  The timeline picture below shows the status of each initiative.

Timeline screen grab

Timeline of SB 138 Initatives

WIC 4435.2 tells the Department of Developmental Services (Department) to:

  1. Provide a definition of generic services, identify barriers to individuals using generic services, describe what regional centers do to help people get generic services, and identify ways to help more. This must be done by July 1, 2025 with community input.
  2. Review whether the new electronic records management system can track generic services that individuals use.
  3. Do an evaluation of the regional center services individuals most often use, and find out if they all are available across the state. Make recommendations for making their availability more equal.
  4. An update must be provided to the Legislature by January 10, 2025.

In development

WIC 4435.1(b) tells the Department to:

  1. Create a standard definitions and individual choices for race, ethnicity and language so that our data can be more useful.
  2. All regional centers must use these new definitions and individual choices to record data beginning January 1, 2025.

Standard definitions and individual choices were established on July 1, 2024, for the following things:

Updated Requirements for Collecting Race, Ethnicity, and Language Data

WIC 4435.1(c) tells the Department to:

  1. Create one way for all regional centers to review an individual’s need for respite services. This must be done by June 30, 2025.
  2. All regional centers must begin using the new way on January 1, 2026.

In development

WIC 4435.1(f) and WIC 4642(a) tell the Department to:

  1. Create one way for individuals to find out if they are eligible for regional center services. This must be done by January 1, 2025.
  2. All regional centers must report how many individuals went through the process and how long it took them. This begins June 30, 2025 and must be done every three months.
  3. The new electronic records management system must be able to include certain information about these individuals.

In development

If you are interested in joining a focus group to help Standardize the Regional Center Intake Process, please sign up through this link: Join the Focus Group for Standardizing the Regional Center Intake Process

WIC 4435.1(e) tells the Department to:

  1. Create one way for new service providers to become vendors of the regional centers. This must be defined by June 30, 2025.
  2. All regional centers must use the new way beginning January 1, 2026. They must provide an updated list of their service providers every 3 months.

In development, preparing for implementation January 2026

WIC 4435.1(d) tells the Department to:

  1. Create one way to make an individual program plan (IPP) and provide directions. This must be done by June 30, 2024.
  2. All regional centers must use the new IPP beginning January 1, 2025.
  3. The new electronic records management system must be able to include information from the IPP.

A standardized Individual Program Plan template and procedures were established in June 2024 and are currently in use.

Individual Program Planning


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Last modified: May 5, 2025