Assemblymember Holden’s Bill to Address Minimum Wage for Developmental Disabilities Service Providers Passes First Committee

Sacramento, CA – Assemblymember Chris Holden’s legislation to address the minimum wage discrepancy for developmental disabilities service providers, Assembly Bill 2623, passed unanimously with bipartisan support in the Assembly Committee for Human Services today. This bill requires the State to adjust reimbursement rates for developmental disability service providers in order to comply with legally binding local mandated minimum wage increases.

“Time is running out,” said Assemblymember Chris Holden. “Without an increase to reimbursement rates to meet local mandates, many developmental disability service providers may have to shut their doors, leading to a shortage of services available to people with disabilities throughout our state.”

The statewide minimum wage statutes enacted in 2016 did not recognize that a number of municipalities and counties have enacted minimum wage ordinances mandating all employers within their jurisdictions to increase wages to levels above State law. Assembly Bill 2623 extends authority to the California Department of Development Services and regional centers to adjust the rates of providers to comply with locally mandated minimum wage laws enacted in the jurisdiction in which they employ workers to meet service needs under the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Act.

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“The Lanterman Act is known as The Bill of Rights for People with Developmental Disabilities, and it declares that people born with developmental disabilities possess the exact same human rights as all other members of our society. It declares that our family members, friends, and neighbors have the right to live as valued members of our communities,” said Holden. “We must pass Assembly Bill 2623 to fund our community organizations that provide vital services people need.”