(a) The Office of the Developmental Services Ombudsperson shall do all of the following: (1) (A) Disseminate information and provide training and technical assistance to individuals served by a regional center, family members, regional center staff, tribes, advocacy groups, service provider organizations, and other interested parties on the rights of persons with developmental disabilities and services provided by the office. The information shall include methods of contacting the office and notification that conversations with the office may be disclosed to other persons, as necessary, to adequately investigate and resolve a complaint. The information and training shall include information about the rights of persons with developmental disabilities under this division, including the rights specified in Chapter 1.3 (commencing with Section 4502) and the Self-Determination Program under Section 4685.8. (B) Commencing on January 1, 2028, at the end of every two-year legislative session, review amendments to the laws applicable to individuals served by a regional center and recommend to the department any updates to materials published by the department. The department, if workload capacity allows using existing resources, shall update those documents to the best of its ability after receiving recommendations from the ombudsperson. (2) Receive complaints made by or on behalf of individuals served by a regional center related to their care, placement, or services. (3) Decide, in its discretion, whether to investigate a complaint, or refer complaints to another agency for investigation. After rendering a decision to investigate a complaint, attempt to resolve the complaint without using a judicial or administrative proceeding, including attempting to facilitate solutions to disagreements about eligibility and services. (4) Upon rendering a decision to investigate a complaint from a complainant, notify the complainant of the intention to investigate. If the office declines to investigate a complaint or continue an investigation, the office shall notify the complainant of the reason for the action of the office. (5) Update the complainant on the progress of the investigation and the attempts to resolve the complaint, and notify the complainant of the final outcome. (6) (A) Compile and make available data to the Legislature in their quarterly legislative updates. This data shall include, but is not limited to, the number of contacts to the office, the number of contacts specific to the Self-Determination Program, the number of complaints made and the modality of the submission of those complaints, the number of investigations performed by the office, the trends and issues that arose in the course of resolving complaints, the number of referrals made, and the number of unresolved contacts. The office shall include recommendations consistent with this data for improving the developmental services system. (B) It is the intent of the Legislature that representatives of the organizations described in subparagraph (B) consider this data in the development of any recommendations offered toward improving the developmental services system. (C) The deidentified compiled data shall be posted so that it is available to the public on the existing internet website of the office. (D) Nothing shall preclude the office from issuing data, findings, or reports other than the annual compilation of data described in this paragraph. (7) Have access to copies of any record of a state agency, local agency, or regional center, and contractors or vendors with the state agency, local agencies, and regional centers that is necessary to carry out their responsibilities, and may meet or communicate with an individual served by a regional center in their placement or elsewhere. (b) The office may present the data compiled under subparagraph (A) of paragraph (6) of subdivision (a) on an annual basis at appropriate conferences, forums, and other events, as determined
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