Welf. & Inst. Code, § 4689.8

Notwithstanding any other law or regulation, commencing July 1, 2008:

(a) No regional center may pay an existing supported living service provider, for services where rates are determined through a negotiation between the regional center and the provider, a rate higher than the rate in effect on June 30, 2008, unless the increase is required by a contract between the regional center and the vendor that is in effect on June 30, 2008, or the regional center demonstrates that the approval is necessary to protect the consumer’s health or safety and the department has granted prior written authorization.

(b) No regional center may negotiate a rate with a new supported living service provider, for services where rates are determined through a negotiation between the regional center and the provider, that is higher than the regional center’s median rate for the same service code and unit of service, or the statewide median rate for the same service code and unit of service, whichever is lower. The unit of service designation shall conform with an existing regional center designation or, if none exists, a designation used to calculate the statewide median rate for the same service. The regional center shall annually certify to the State Department of Developmental Services its median rate for each negotiated rate service code, by designated unit of service. This certification shall be subject to verification through the department’s biennial fiscal audit of the regional center.

(c) Notwithstanding any other law or regulation, commencing July 1, 2016, and to the extent funds are appropriated in the annual Budget Act for this purpose, the rates in effect on June 30, 2016, for supported living services, as defined in Subchapter 19 of Chapter 3 of Division 2 of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations, shall be increased by 5 percent. The increase shall be applied as a percentage, and the percentage shall be the same for all providers.