Addiction treatment: advertising: payment.

Existing law makes it a crime to operate a group advertising and referral service for specified licensed professionals, except as provided. This bill would prohibit a person, firm, partnership, association, or corporation, or an agent or employee thereof, from making payments for services that recommend any form of medical care or treatment that is provided by an alcohol-related or narcotic-related program, or an alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or treatment program, facility, or dispensary. The bill would also prohibit a person, firm, partnership, association, or corporation, or an agent or employee thereof, from using runners, cappers, steerers, or other persons to procure clients, patients, or customers for any form of medical care or treatment provided by an alcohol-related or narcotic-related program, facility, or dispensary. Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation by the State Department of Health Care Services of adult alcoholism and drug abuse recovery and treatment facilities. The department also requires that an individual providing counseling services working within an alcohol and drug abuse recovery and treatment program be registered with or certified by a certifying organization approved by the department to register and certify counselors. This bill would prohibit certain persons, programs, or entities, including a substance use disorder treatment program and persons employed by that program, from giving or receiving remuneration or anything of value for the referral of a person who is seeking substance use disorder treatment services and would authorize the department to investigate and take specified disciplinary action against those persons or programs for violating those prohibitions. The bill would make a person who violates these provisions subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $10,000 for the first violation, and not more than $100,000 for each subsequent violation, as specified. The bill would also make a person who commits a knowing and willful violation of these provisions subject to a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed $50,000 for the first violation, and not more than $250,000 for each subsequent knowing and willful violation, as specified. The bill would also include a statement of legislative intent.