Bill > SB582

This bill addresses licensing and operational procedures for health and care facilities during emergencies or disasters, such as wildfires, by establishing new provisions to help facilities maintain their licensing status and recover more quickly after catastrophic events. The bill requires skilled nursing facilities to update their external disaster and mass casualty program plans annually (instead of every five years) and seek input from local emergency planning offices, including the medical health operational area coordinator (MHOAC). Residential care facilities for the elderly must now provide their emergency and disaster plans to the MHOAC for local disaster coordination. The legislation enables state departments to allow facilities that become nonoperational due to destruction or significant damage to obtain a "disaster suspension" of their active license if they intend to become operational again, either in the same or an alternative location. Facilities must notify the relevant state department within six months of the emergency declaration and can potentially have their annual licensing fees waived. The bill also requires state departments to coordinate operational steps for facilities licensed by multiple agencies and provides a 30-day waiver of in-person attendance requirements for certain adult and childcare services. The goal is to facilitate swift recovery and rebuilding of state-licensed facilities after emergencies, ensuring continued access to critical health and care services in affected communities.

Budget and Finance, Health and Social Services

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB582