Whistleblower protection: county patients' rights advocates.

Existing law relating to whistleblower protection prohibits an employer, as defined, or any person acting on behalf of the employer, as defined, from, among other things, preventing an employee from, or retaliating against an employee for, providing information to, or testifying before, any public body conducting an investigation, hearing, or inquiry, if the employee has reasonable cause to believe that the information discloses a violation of a law, regardless of whether disclosing the information is part of the employee's job duties. Existing law relating to mental health advocacy requires each local mental health director to appoint, or contract for the services of, one or more county patients' rights advocates to perform prescribed duties. Existing law prohibits the knowing obstruction of a county patients' rights advocate in the performance of the advocate's duties. This bill would establish similar whistleblower protections specifically for county patients' rights advocates. The bill would apply prohibitions against retaliation by an employer to a local contracting agency under these provisions. The bill would establish a private right of action to enforce the rights and protections afforded to county patients' rights advocates.