Existing law grants the State Department of Health Care Services the sole authority in state government to license adult alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or treatment facilities. The department is authorized to issue a license to specified types of facilities if certain criteria are met. Existing law requires licensees to report specified events and incidents to the department, including, among others, the death of a resident at a licensed facility. Existing law authorizes the department to investigate allegations of violations of governing law and take action upon a finding of a violation, as specified.
This bill would require an operator of a licensed alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or treatment facility or certified alcohol or other drug program to include a disclosure on its internet website if a legal, disciplinary, or other
enforcement action has been brought by the department and the facility or program was determined to be in violation. The bill would require the internet website disclosure to include the date and nature of the violation, and require the disclosure to be posted no later than 14 business days after the determination of violation. The bill would impose a $2,500 civil penalty for failure to comply with the internet website posting requirement. on its internet website and intake form paperwork a disclosure that an individual may check the internet website of the State Department of Health Care Services to confirm whether the facility’s license or program’s certification has been placed in probationary status, been subject to a temporary suspension order, been revoked, or the operator has been given a notice of operation in violation of law. The bill would require the disclosure to include a link to the department’s internet
website that contains the Probationary Status, Temporary Suspension Order, Revoked and Notice of Operation in Violation of Law Program List. The bill would authorize a violation of this requirement to be subject to penalty imposed by the department.