Alcohol and other drug programs.

Assembly Member Dixon’s John’s Law would couple a new post-incident information requirement with a deficiency-notice enforcement mechanism in the department’s oversight of fatalities in licensed care facilities, and it would authorize informal guidance channels to implement these changes. The bill would require a licensed facility to submit within 30 days any information that was not known at the time of the initial incident, and it would empower the Department of Health Care Services to issue a written notice of deficiency if licensing violations are identified during the investigation.

Current law already requires telephonic reporting within one working day and a written report within seven calendar days, detailing the event, actions taken, and planned follow-up actions. The bill retains these timelines but adds a 30-day window for updating the department with newly discovered information. It also adds a mechanism for the department to issue a written notice of deficiency to address any licensing violations found during the investigation, including instructions to remedy the violations and a timeframe to respond. A cross-reference to licensing standards anchors the enforcement framework to existing regulatory provisions.

Implementation would be carried out through informal channels—such as all-county letters or provider bulletins—without new formal regulatory action, while the core objective remains the department’s timely death-investigation policy. The framework continues to rely on existing reporting requirements, now complemented by the post-incident information flow and the deficiency-notice tool tied to licensing compliance discovered during investigations.

The bill’s effects would primarily be felt by the department, licensed facilities, and the families of residents. Departmental workload could increase due to reviewing post-incident updates and issuing deficiency notices, while facilities may face added administrative tasks and potential remediation obligations in response to deficiency actions. No new appropriation is specified, though the Fiscal Committee would review the measure, signaling potential budget considerations. Ambiguities identified in the accompanying analysis—such as what constitutes the initial incident or relevant information and the precise timing for deficiencies—could be clarified through guidance issued under the informal implementation authority.