Welf. & Inst. Code, § 12301.2

(a) (1) The department, in consultation and coordination with county welfare departments and in accordance with Section 12305.72, shall establish and implement statewide hourly task guidelines and instructions to provide counties with a standard tool for consistently and accurately assessing service needs and authorizing service hours to meet those needs.

(2) The guidelines shall specify a range of time normally required for each supportive service task necessary to ensure the health, safety, and independence of the recipient. The guidelines shall also provide criteria to assist county workers to determine when an individual’s service need falls outside the range of time provided in the guidelines.

(3) In establishing the guidelines the department shall consider, among other factors, adherence to universal precautions, existing utilization patterns and outcomes associated with different levels of utilization, and the need to avoid cost shifting to other government program services. During the development of the guidelines the department may seek advice from health professionals such as public health nurses or physical or occupational therapists.

(b) A county shall use the statewide hourly task guidelines when conducting an individual assessment or reassessment of an individual’s need for supportive services.

(c) Subject to the limits imposed by Section 12303.4, counties shall approve an amount of time different from the guideline amount whenever the individual assessment indicates that the recipient’s needs require an amount of time that is outside the range provided for in the guidelines. Whenever task times outside the range provided in the guidelines are authorized the county shall document the need for the authorized service level.

(d) The department shall adopt regulations to implement this section by June 30, 2006. The department shall seek input from the entities listed in Section 12305.72 when developing the regulations.