Alcohol and drug recovery or treatment facilities: investigations.

Senator Blakespear's legislation to reform complaint investigations at California alcohol and drug treatment facilities establishes new timelines for the State Department of Health Care Services' oversight responsibilities. The measure adds requirements for the department to assign complaints to analysts within 10 days of receipt and complete investigations within 60 days.

The bill creates specific deadlines where none currently exist in the department's complaint investigation process for licensed treatment facilities. Under existing law, the department conducts both routine compliance visits and complaint-driven investigations but operates without mandated timeframes for initiating or concluding these reviews. The proposed changes would apply to all complaints regarding licensed facilities as well as allegations of unlicensed operations.

The department would need to implement new tracking systems and procedures to meet these investigation timelines while working within current resources, as the bill includes no additional funding. The measure maintains the department's existing authority to conduct announced and unannounced site visits and does not alter the underlying licensing requirements for alcohol and drug treatment facilities.