CAIC Support LetterFor those who are not familiar with Assembly Bill 896, which proposes to
close California's institutions for people with developmental disabilities,
more information is available from this Inclusion Daily Express web page:
May 16, 2001
Hon. Carole Migden, Chair
Assembly Appropriations Committee
State Capitol
Sacramento CA 95814
Subject: Support AB 896
Dear Assemblymember Migden,
I am writing on behalf of the California Alliance for Inclusive Communities, Inc. (C.A.I.C.) which is a statewide coalition of parent and consumer-driven advocacy organizations as well as individual parents, self-advocates, siblings, and providers. C.A.I.C. seeks to represent the interests of 170,000 Californian's with developmental disabilities and their families. The Board of Directors of C.A.I.C. unanimously supports AB 896, which is probably the most important legislation for people with developmental disabilities to be introduced in the last twenty-five years.
Families throughout California desperately need this legislation signed into law. It is the only proposal by either the legislature or the administration that addresses the parallel crises in our developmental services system. The costs of the institutional system of care for 3,800 people are rapidly becoming prohibitive. At the same time, the community system of services for 170,000 people is near collapse due to chronic and severe underfunding.
AB 896 mandates a planned and careful transition to community services. Because higher quality services can be provided in community settings for substantially less cost, AB 896 can re-direct the savings to those people currently living in our communities who have the greatest need and are most at risk. This legislation focuses on meeting the needs of people with the most severe disabilities. To do nothing would be putting them at risk.
AB 896 is also a cost avoidance measure. The bill has significant additional costs associated with the closure of the old state institutions. However, these additional costs are a tiny fraction of the costs of doing nothing. The escalating per capita operational costs of the institutions have increased roughly 50% in the last four years, failure to meet federal standards of care cost the general fund $50,000,000 last year, and continued operation will require at least $1,500,000,000 to bring the buildings up to modern health, safety, accessibility and earthquake standards. Additionally, doing nothing opens California to significant legal liability for the severely disabled people currently housed in unsafe institution buildings and the state's lack of compliance with both state and federal civil rights laws.
I have enclosed a brief position statement, which discusses in more detail the essential impact of AB 896.
We urge you support this legislation. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at 510-655-9016.
Sincerely,
Mark W. Polit,
Acting President