Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code § 4690

The Director of Developmental Services shall establish, maintain, and revise, as necessary, an equitable process for setting rates of state payment for nonresidential services purchased by regional centers, and may promulgate regulations establishing program standards, or the process to be used for setting these rates, or both, in order to assure that regional centers may secure high-quality services for developmentally disabled persons from individuals or agencies vendored to provide these services. In developing the rates pursuant to regulation, the director may require vendors to submit program, cost, or other information, as necessary. The director shall take into account the rates paid by other agencies and jurisdictions for comparable services in order to assure that regional center rates are at competitive levels. In no event shall rates established pursuant to this article be any less than those established for comparable services under the Medi-Cal program.