Residential care facilities for the elderly.

Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of residential care facilities for the elderly by the State Department of Social Services. Violation of these provisions is a misdemeanor. Existing law authorizes the department to deny an application for a license or suspend or revoke a license issued by the department under specified circumstances. This bill would authorize the department to order a suspension of new admissions prohibiting a residential care facility for the elderly from admitting new residents if the facility has failed to pay a fine assessed by the department or if the department finds that the facility has violated applicable laws or regulations and the violation presents a direct or immediate risk to the health, safety, or personal rights of a resident or residents of the facility and is not corrected immediately. The bill would authorize a licensee to appeal the suspension and would require the department to adopt regulations that specify the appeal procedure. By expanding the scope of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.