Homeless shelters: safety regulations.

Assembly Member Quirk-Silva's homeless shelter safety legislation mandates annual inspections of all homeless shelters in California while establishing new requirements for complaint investigation and occupant rights notification. Cities and counties must conduct yearly reviews of shelters in their jurisdictions, with the option for announced or unannounced visits, and maintain public records of all inspection findings.

The measure requires homeless shelters to prominently display information about occupant rights and complaint procedures, including contact details for shelter operators, local authorities, and state officials. This information must also be provided in writing to new occupants during intake. Local jurisdictions must submit annual reports detailing inspection results, violations, and corrective actions, regardless of whether complaints were received that year.

To strengthen enforcement, the Department of Housing and Community Development gains authority to initiate civil actions against non-compliant shelters, with prevailing plaintiffs eligible to recover attorney's fees and costs. The department may withhold state funding from cities and counties that fail to meet reporting requirements or address violations. While the bill creates new local government obligations, it maintains existing legal immunities for jurisdictions and their employees carrying out these expanded oversight duties.