Advocacy Opportunity: Oppose California’s AB 1715!

ARCA Statement on AB 1715 – Advocacy Needed!

On January 26, 2016, California State Assembly member Chris Holden (Pasadena) introduced AB 1715 to the Assembly. AB 1715  was created, in his words, “to protect autistic children, as well as others who can benefit from behavior analytic services, from those who falsely claim that they are qualified to practice behavior analysis.” This bill would require legal documentation of training and competence in applied behavioral analysis therapy (ABA) for practitioners and allow California to directly regulate the practitioners. It passed the Assembly on June 3rd and is currently under review in the California State Senate.

What’s the Problem with AB 1715?

This bill will make all behavioral services hard to get in California. Behavioral services in AB 1715 is defined broadly as “to produce socially significant improvements”, which means any service that teaches anything from living skills, managing transportation, to any  behavioral health needs outside of ABA is affected by this bill. Any practitioner of any of these services would have to meet these state requirements, and service providers will not receive any money from the state to hire and pay for those who do. And that will severely limit the already low number of providers offering these services.

We all agree behavioral health is crucial for developmentally disabled, and protecting them and having qualified staff providing these services are important. But AB 1715 is not going to do that.

What Can We Do?

Call our State Senators to oppose AB 1715!

The California State Senate Business & Professions Committee will discuss AB 1715 on June 27, 2016 at 1pm. Find your local representative here, call them at their Sacramento and local offices, and say the following:

“I’m represented by the Senator, who will be voting on AB 1715 soon. I want them to vote ‘NO’ on this bad bill!” Please feel free to describe how behavioral health services have helped you and how badly you and others will be impacted by the state limiting these services.

You can also call the Senators on the Senate Business & Professions Committee listed here and tell them to oppose AB 1715, citing how you’ve benefited from behavioral health services and how badly you’ll be impacted by the state limiting them.

For more information, you can contact ARCA Legislative Coordinator Daniel Savino at (916) 446-7961 or at [email protected].