Lanterman Act

The Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act, known as the "Lanterman Act" for short, is an important piece of legislation that was passed in 1969. This is the California law that says people with developmental disabilities and their families have a right to get the services and supports they need to live like people who don’t have disabilities.

The Lanterman Act outlines the rights of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families, how the regional centers and service providers can help these individuals, what services and supports they can obtain, how to use the individualized program plan to get needed services, what to do when someone violates the Lanterman Act, and how to improve the system. Please take the time to view the following reader-friendly document.

If you have questions, contact the Koch-Young Resource Center at 213.383.1300, x. 5600, toll-free at 800.546.3676, or kyrc@lanterman.org.

Click on the following links to access the full text of:

• Lanterman Act and Related Laws
  
• Lanterman Act (client-friendly version)
  
• Rights Under the Lanterman Act (written by Protection & Advocacy, Inc.)