20250HR__002499INT INTRODUCED 2025-03-06 REVISED 2025-03-20 2025 HR INT Introduced by Assembly Member Nguyen (Coauthors: Assembly Members Addis, Aguiar-Curry, Alanis, Arambula, Ávila Farías, Bains, Bennett, Berman, Boerner, Bonta, Bryan, Caloza, Carrillo, Castillo, Chen, Connolly, Davies, DeMaio, Dixon, Elhawary, Ellis, Flora, Fong, Gabriel, Gallagher, Garcia, Gipson, Jeff Gonzalez, Mark González, Hadwick, Haney, Harabedian, Hart, Hoover, Irwin, Jackson, Kalra, Krell, Lackey, Lee, Lowenthal, Macedo, McKinnor, Muratsuchi, Ortega, Pacheco, Papan, Patel, Patterson, Pellerin, Petrie-Norris, Ramos, Ransom, Rivas, Celeste Rodriguez, Michelle Rodriguez, Rogers, Blanca Rubio, Sanchez, Schiavo, Schultz, Sharp-Collins, Solache, Soria, Stefani, Ta, Tangipa, Valencia, Ward, Wicks, Wilson, and Zbur) LEAD_AUTHOR ASSEMBLY Nguyen COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Addis COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Aguiar-Curry COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Alanis COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Arambula COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ávila Farías COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Bains COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Bennett COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Berman COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Boerner COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Bonta COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Bryan COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Caloza COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Carrillo COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Castillo COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Chen COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Connolly COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Davies COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY DeMaio COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Dixon COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Elhawary COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ellis COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Flora COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Fong COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Gabriel COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Gallagher COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Garcia COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Gipson COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Jeff Gonzalez COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Mark González COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Hadwick COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Haney COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Harabedian COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Hart COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Hoover COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Irwin COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Jackson COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Kalra COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Krell COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Lackey COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Lee COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Lowenthal COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Macedo COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY McKinnor COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Muratsuchi COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ortega COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Pacheco COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Papan COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Patel COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Patterson COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Pellerin COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Petrie-Norris COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ramos COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ransom COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Rivas COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Celeste Rodriguez COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Michelle Rodriguez COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Rogers COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Blanca Rubio COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Sanchez COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Schiavo COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Schultz COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Sharp-Collins COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Solache COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Soria COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Stefani COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ta COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Tangipa COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Valencia COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ward COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Wicks COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Wilson COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Zbur Relative to Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.

Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

WHEREAS, March is recognized nationwide as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, which honors the progress in, and opportunities for, supporting community life for people with developmental disabilities; and

WHEREAS, The United States Congress enacted the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000, and a precursor in 1975, to ensure that individuals with developmental disabilities and their families can access quality services that promote self-determination, independence, productivity, integration, and inclusion in all facets of community life; and

WHEREAS, In 1965, the Legislature passed Assembly Bill of the Regular Session, authored by Assembly Member Waldie, with two pilot regional centers opening in to provide community services to people with developmental disabilities, which was expanded statewide in as the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act (Lanterman Act); and

WHEREAS, Through the Lanterman Act, the state has empowered people with developmental disabilities to lead lives of greater inclusion and self-direction in communities of their choosing for nearly years; and

WHEREAS, Those disabilities are defined as autism, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, and conditions that are either closely related to, or require similar services as, intellectual disability, and significantly impact the life of the individual; and

WHEREAS, The Lanterman Act now benefits over 430,000 individuals with developmental disabilities and their families; and

WHEREAS, Regional centers across the state and their frontline service coordinators are lifelong connections to services that make having a good quality of life possible; and

WHEREAS, The work completed within regional centers is intended to provide visibility to developmental disabilities in early childhood years and increase access to early intervention services; and

WHEREAS, The daily lives of people with developmental disabilities and their families are founded on the work of direct support professionals and over 40,000 service providers; and

WHEREAS, Regional centers and service providers continue to develop new and existing modes of service that are culturally competent; and

WHEREAS, People with developmental disabilities, including self-advocates, are the most important drivers of change in our system, which prioritizes individuals’ self-expressed needs, interests, and goals; and

WHEREAS, The ways in which people with developmental disabilities thrive in the community are changing and expanding, including through the federal Home and Community-Based Services Final Rule, the Self-Determination Program, competitive integrated employment, and person-centered service modalities;

now, therefore,

be it Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the Assembly recognizes the month of March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month; and be it further Resolved, That the Assembly salutes the self-advocates and their families who are critical to informing every element of this system, as well as the state, of their perspectives, goals, and desires, providing an authentic and lived experience to shape how people with developmental disabilities are served; and be it further Resolved, That the Assembly commends the direct support professionals, service coordinators, regional centers, and service providers for their work; and be it further Resolved, That the Assembly honors the work of families in their love and commitment to their family members with developmental disabilities; and be it further Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.

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