Sec. 36. 34-B MRSA §5461, sub-§10-A, as enacted by PL 1983, c. 580, §13, is repealed.

Sec. 37. 34-B MRSA §5461, sub-§11, as enacted by PL 1983, c. 459, §7, is repealed.

Sec. 38. 34-B MRSA §5462, as amended by PL 1983, c. 580, §15, is repealed.

Sec. 39. 34-B MRSA §5462-A is enacted to read:

§5462-A.__State policy

1.__Identification of needs; services.__It is the policy of the State that a person with mental retardation or autism who is eligible for services receive needed services, insofar as resources permit, when those needs are identified through:

A.__A personal planning process; or

B.__Any other assessment of the person's needs.

2.__Personal involvement.__It is the policy of the State that a person with mental retardation or autism, and a person's guardian and personal allies, should they be available, be involved to the greatest extent possible in the identification of needs and supports of the person.

3.__Planning; budgeting.__It is the policy of the State that information regarding the needs and supports of persons with mental retardation or autism that are not immediately addressed must be accurately collected and used by the department in planning for the development of resources and budgeting for that development.

4.__Regular contact.__It is the policy of the State that the individual support coordinator supporting a person with mental retardation or autism must have regular contact with the person, which may include visits, with the person's permission, to the person's residence, to the person's place of employment or to the person's__program site.

5.__Caseload.__It is the policy of this State that case management caseloads be consistent with generally accepted professional standards.