Senator Bob Huff
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 4, 2015
CONTACT: Bill Bird @ 916-651-4029
Huff Delivers Message of Hope to Developmentally Disabled
Pledges Bipartisan Cooperation to Provide Services and Benefits
SACRAMENTO: Speaking before a crowd of several hundred people on the North Steps of the State Capitol today, Senate Minority Leader Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar) pledged to renew a commitment to Californians with developmental disabilities. The Senate Minority Leader invoked the memory of Governor Ronald Reagan and the commitments spelled out in the Lanterman Act to help disabled residents achieve their goals.
“We want to make sure that you can set your own goals, dream your own dreams and thrive in the neighborhoods where you want to live,” Senator Huff told the appreciative crowd in front of him. “To make this vision a reality, we must take steps to ensure that there is a sustainable community environment to support the developmentally disabled.”
Senator Huff pledged to work with his counterparts in the State Legislature to pass three key bills that will help California’s disabled residents to achieve their goals. Two of them, SB 638 and SB 639, are authored by Senator Jeff Stone (R-Riverside County). Senator Huff is co-authoring a third measure with Senator Jim Beall (D-San Jose), SB 490.
SB 638 will launch reforms to help give disabled citizens community services that are high-quality, sustainable, and transparent. This bill provides more money immediately for services like supported employment and residential programs. SB 639 lays the framework for transitioning more individuals from outdated state developmental centers to community-based services. It also seeks to ensure that the money saved from shutting down these centers will be shifted to community services for the disabled.
Additionally, SB 490 will make it easier for service providers to keep giving the disabled the help they need. It reforms burdensome state requirements that are wasting valuable taxpayer dollars.
“Senate Republicans are firmly committed to helping our disabled residents achieve their goals,” said Senator Huff during today’s event. “We believe that every consumer deserves access to appropriate community housing, opportunities for employment, and day services that match his or her goals and abilities. California cannot claim to prioritize the developmentally disabled if it fails to support the community services that best meet their goals.”
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Senator Huff serves as the Senate Republican Leader and represents the 29th Senate District covering portions of Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino Counties. Follow Senator Huff on Twitter at @bobhuff99.