Care Facilities

Establishes new standards for online home health aide training programs with real-time instruction requirements. Requires home health aide trainers to be registered nurses with two years experience or supervised LVNs. Mandates 12 hours of annual in-service training for home health aide certificate renewal. Requires identity verification and monitoring of online training programs to prevent fraud.

Eliminates CARF accreditation requirements for work activity and supported employment programs. Requires regional centers to evaluate programs using new state-developed service standards. Authorizes regional centers to impose sanctions on providers who violate safety or service standards. Maintains existing enforcement tools including corrective plans and program termination.

Requires regional centers to document all service denials and appeals in individual disability program plans. Mandates regional centers to report detailed data on service denials and disparities by race and language. Establishes a statewide data dashboard to track disability service access and equity by December 2024. Requires regional centers to communicate with consumers in their preferred language during planning.

Establishes new quality and performance measures for California's developmental disability services system by 2027. Requires comprehensive review of all existing service quality metrics across regional centers by July 2026. Mandates creation of a uniform tracking system to measure outcomes for individuals with disabilities. Requires implementation progress report to the Legislature by January 2028.

Requires health and care facilities to update their emergency and disaster plans annually with local input. Allows facilities damaged by disasters to suspend their licenses for rebuilding without losing their status. Waives licensing fees for facilities being rebuilt after destruction from fires or disasters. Mandates coordination between state agencies to streamline disaster recovery for affected facilities.

Requires regional centers to complete developmental disability assessments for foster children within 60 days. Mandates assessment of foster children even when documentation is incomplete to prevent service delays. Establishes annual public reporting requirements to track assessment timelines and outcomes by regional center. Creates standardized information packets about services in multiple languages for families seeking assistance.

Establishes a new Office of the Lanterman Ombudsperson to help resolve issues for people with developmental disabilities. Grants ombudsperson authority to investigate complaints and inspect facilities without prior notice. Protects confidentiality by prohibiting ombudsperson staff from testifying in legal proceedings. Requires regional centers to inform clients about the ombudsperson office during annual planning meetings.

Requires elderly care facilities with 16+ residents to maintain 72-hour backup power systems by 2028. Mandates facilities to install permanent generators or renewable energy systems with battery storage. Requires facilities to maintain detailed emergency plans including evacuation and communication protocols. Enforces quarterly emergency drills and annual staff training on disaster response procedures.

Extends eviction notice periods up to 90 days for elderly care facility residents based on length of stay. Requires facilities to create detailed discharge plans with suitable housing options within 60 miles. Imposes $10,000 penalties on facilities that illegally refuse entry to residents during eviction. Mandates facilities notify local ombudsmen of all eviction notices to protect resident rights.

Establishes rent protections for elderly Medi-Cal recipients in residential care facilities. Limits facility charges to the difference between resident income and personal needs allowance. Authorizes state agencies to waive rent control restrictions for assisted living facilities.

Requires home care aides to complete annual training on caring for clients with dementia. Mandates five hours of entry-level training before aides can work with clients. Allows all required training to be completed through online programs. Establishes criminal penalties for organizations that fail to ensure aide training compliance.

Establishes a streamlined permit approval process for restaurant renovations using certified architects or engineers. Requires local agencies to approve or deny restaurant permit applications within 20 business days. Mandates random audits of 20% of all certified restaurant improvement plans submitted weekly. Holds certifying professionals liable for damages from negligent plan reviews with $2 million insurance required.

Requires elderly care facilities to calculate and publicly display daily staff-to-resident care ratios. Mandates facilities to disclose care ratios to residents upon admission and during rate increases. Requires facilities to maintain care ratio records for 12 months and post them on their websites. Establishes criminal penalties for facilities that violate these transparency requirements.

Expands the definition of healthcare professionals who can certify patients for in-home support services. Requires standardized certification forms to be used across all California counties. Prohibits healthcare professionals from charging fees for completing IHSS certification forms.

Establishes a new dental program to reduce the need for sedation in treating patients with disabilities by 2027. Requires state dental schools to train providers and implement teledentistry systems at 10 regional centers. Creates partnerships between dental schools and regional centers to identify and refer eligible patients. Mandates annual reporting to track program effectiveness in improving dental care access.

Requires background checks for behavioral health providers to screen for crimes involving minors. Exempts licensed providers who already completed fingerprint-based background checks. Expands criminal penalties for unauthorized disclosure of background check results.