Governor Newsom Proposes 2020-21 Budget

Updates to 2019-20 Current Year Budget: 

The 2019-20 Budget is increased $5.9 million to cover the cost of minimum wage increases from $12.00 to $13.00 per hour effective Jan. 1 2020. However the total Regional Center Budget received a net decrease of $63 M due to January 2019 minimum wage increases coming in lower than originally estimated.

Proposed 2020-21 Developmental Services Budget

These proposals from Govenor Newsom will be reviewed and possibly modified by the legislature over the coming months, prior to passage of a budget in June.

The 2020-21 budget includes a net increase of 1 billion compared to 2019-20, which is largely due to the projected increase in population to be served by regional centers.

The estimated 2021 population is 368,622, reflecting an increase of 18,575, or 5.3%. including those receiving Early Start services (birth to 3 years) and active regional center clients with diagnosed developmental disabilities. The budget proposes to provide $16.5 million to provide a lower caseload ratio for clients 3-4 years old. Unfortunately, the budget for service coordinators is based on the salaries set in 30 years ago and will not actually cover the necessary staffing increase to achieve this caseload ratio.

The Purchase of Services budget will increase by $420.3 million or 6.49%) due to population and expenditure growth in “Community Care Facilities, In-Home Respite, and Support Services (Supported Living, Personal Assistance and Community Integration Training).

$206.2 Million increase to implement service provider supplemental rate increases which were approved last year (effective January 2020) and 18 Million to provide a rate increase for three additional services that were excluded in the prior year – early start specialized therapeutic services, independent living services, and infant developmental program (effective Jan. 2021).

$103.8 million to implement the 2020 minimum wage increase to 13.00/hr

$120.3 million to implement the 2021 minimum wage increase to $14.00/hr.

The 2020 Governor’s Budget also included the announcement the Uniform Holiday Schedule for service providers will continue to be suspended, with the new projected sunset date of December 31, 2023.

For more information, view the DDS 2020 Governor’s Budget Highlights on the DDS website.