Veterans: Medical Foster Home Pilot Program.

Existing law establishes the Department of Veterans Affairs, which is responsible for administering various programs and services for the benefit of veterans. Existing law provides for the licensure of residential care facilities for the elderly, community care facilities, and residential care facilities for persons with chronic, life-threatening illness by the State Department of Social Services. Existing law exempts from the application of these provisions specified facilities, including general acute care hospitals and clinics. Existing law authorizes the California State Auditor, upon the request by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee and to the extent funding is available, to audit a state or local governmental agency, as defined, or any other publicly created entity. Existing law, Chapter 650 of the Statutes of 2014, established the Medical Foster Home Pilot Program from June 1, 2015, until January 1, 2018, which authorized a United States Department of Veterans Affairs (USDVA) facility to establish a medical foster home that is not subject to licensure or regulation as a residential care facility for the elderly, a community care facility, or a residential care facility for persons with chronic, life-threatening illness, pursuant to specified federal requirements. Existing law required the USDVA facility establishing the home to agree to be subject to the jurisdiction of the California State Auditor, and further required the USDVA to obtain criminal background information for caregivers and specified individuals residing in the home. This bill would reestablish the Medical Foster Home Pilot Program, until January 1, 2022, under substantially similar requirements as the previous pilot program. The bill would state the intent of the Legislature that the California State Auditor, through a request to the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, conduct an audit evaluating the pilot program created by this bill no sooner than January 1, 2020, as specified. The bill additionally would require medical foster home caregivers and individuals, other than veteran residents, over 18 years of age and who reside in the medical foster home to register as independent home care aides, under existing provisions, including a background examination, as specified. An applicant for registration as an independent home care aide is required to submit to the State Department of Social Services a signed declaration, under penalty of perjury, regarding any prior criminal convictions. By requiring additional individuals to register as independent home care aides, the bill would expand the scope of the crime of perjury, thereby imposing 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.