Alcohol and drug treatment facilities: local regulation

Assembly Member Diane Dixon

72nd Assembly District

Current law requires an alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or treatment facility that serves 6 or fewer persons to be considered a residential use of property for the purposes of local regulation, regardless of whether or not unrelated persons are living together. This bill would exempt an alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or treatment facility licensed on or after January 1, 2026, from being considered a residential use of property for the purposes of local regulation if the facility is located within 300 feet of another recovery or treatment facility, both facilities share the same owner or director or share programs or amenities, and the total number of residents in both facilities is greater than 6. (Based on 12/02/2024 text)

Alcohol and drug recovery or treatment facilities: discharge and continuing care planning

Assembly Member Laurie Davies

74th Assembly District

Current law requires a licensee of adult alcoholism or drug abuse recovery and treatment facilities to provide recovery, treatment, or detoxification services. Current law authorizes the State Department of Health Care Services to adopt regulations requiring records and procedures that are appropriate for each of those services, including, among others, discharge and continuing care planning. This bill would instead
require the department to adopt regulations requiring discharge and continuing care planning that are appropriate for each of the aforementioned services. The bill would require the department to adopt regulations requiring a licensee to, among other things, develop a plan to help the patient return to their home community at the conclusion of treatment, as specified, and schedule for the patient a follow-up meeting with a mental health or substance use disorder professional to occur no more than 7 days after discharge. (Based on 02/05/2025 text)

Alcohol and other drug programs: complaints

Assembly Member Laurie Davies

74th Assembly District

Current law prohibits the operation, establishment, management, conduct, or maintenance of an alcohol or other drug recovery or treatment facility to provide recovery, treatment, or detoxification services within this state without first obtaining a current valid license. This bill would, when the State Department of Health Care Services receives a complaint against a licensed alcohol or other drug recovery or treatment facility, or a complaint alleging that a facility is unlawfully operating without a license, from a member of the public, require the department to provide, within 30 days of the date of the complaint, notice to the person filing the complaint that the complaint has been received and to provide, upon closing the complaint, notice to the person filing the complaint that the complaint has been closed and whether the department found the facility to be in violation of the provisions governing facility licensure and regulation. (Based on 02/05/2025 text)

Certification of alcohol and other drug programs.

Assembly Member Laurie Davies

74th Assembly District

Current law grants the sole authority in state government to the State Department of Health Care Services to certify alcohol or other drug programs and to license adult alcohol or other drug abuse recovery or treatment facilities. Current law requires the department to adopt the American Society of Addiction Medicine treatment criteria, or an equivalent evidence-based standard, as the minimum standard of care for licensed facilities and requires a licensee to maintain those standards with respect to the level of care to be provided by the licensee. This bill would similarly require the department to adopt the American Society of Addiction Medicine treatment criteria, or an equivalent evidence-based standard, as the minimum standard of care for alcohol or other drug programs certified by the department. The bill would also require certified programs to maintain those standards with respect to the level of care to provided by the certified program. (Based on 02/05/2025 text)

Short-term residential therapeutic program: requirements.

Assembly Member Darshana Patel

76th Assembly District

The California Community Care Facilities Act provides for the licensure and regulation of community care and residential facilities, including short-term residential therapeutic programs, by the State Department of Social Services. A violation of the act is a misdemeanor. Current law defines “short-term residential therapeutic program” as a residential facility licensed by the department and operated by any public agency or private organization that provides an integrated program of specialized and intensive care and supervision, services and supports, treatment, and short-term, 24-hour care and supervision to children, including foster children. Current law requires a short-term residential therapeutic program to follow the requirements applicable to group homes, and to have national accreditation from an entity identified by the department pursuant to a specified process. Current law requires a short-term residential therapeutic program to prepare and maintain a current, written plan of operation including, among other things, a statement of purposes and goals and a detailed program statement. This bill additionally would require a short-term residential therapeutic program to ensure that at least one parent, or a legal guardian, will be residing at single, physical address within the state for the duration of the child’s or youth’s treatment. The bill also would require the short-term residential therapeutic program to ensure that a child or youth residing in the program facility is at all times able to make confidential telephone calls to their parent or legal guardian, as specified, and has access at all times to appropriate footwear that is suitable to be worn outdoors. The bill would require the short-term residential therapeutic program to post these requirements on its internet website. 

Alcohol and drug programs: licensing.

Assembly Member Avelino Valencia

68th Assembly District

Current law authorizes the State Department of Health Care Services to issue a license to operate an alcohol or other drug recovery or treatment facility upon receipt of a completed written application, fire clearance, and licensing fee, as specified. This bill would require the department, whenever it issues a
license to operate an alcohol or other drug recovery or treatment facility, to concurrently provide written notification of the issuance of the license to the city or county in which the facility is located. The bill would require the notice to include the name and mailing address of the licensee and the location of the
facility.

Alcohol and drug recovery or treatment facilities: investigations.

Senator Catherine Blakespear

38th Senate District

Current law prohibits operating an alcohol or other drug recovery or treatment facility to provide recovery, treatment, or detoxification services within this state without first obtaining a current valid license. If a facility is alleged to be providing those services without a license, current law requires the department to conduct a site visit to investigate the allegation. Current law also authorizes the State Department of Health Care Services to conduct announced or unannounced site visits to licensed facilities for the purpose of reviewing them for compliance, as specified. This bill would require the department to assign a complaint regarding an alcohol or other drug recovery or treatment facility to an analyst for investigation within 10 days of receiving the complaint. The bill would require the department to complete an investigation into a complaint regarding a facility within 60 days of receiving the complaint.