Alcoholism and drug abuse recovery or treatment programs.

Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of adult alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or treatment facilities by the State Department of Health Care Services and authorizes the department to enforce those provisions. Existing law prohibits specified persons, programs, or entities, such as an alcoholism or drug abuse treatment facility or a person employed by, or working for, an alcohol or other drug program, from giving or receiving anything of value for the referral of a person who is seeking alcoholism or drug abuse recovery and treatment services. Existing law authorizes the department to investigate allegations of violations of those provisions, and authorizes the department to assess various penalties upon a person, program, or entity that is found in violation of those provisions. This bill would require laboratories or certified outpatient treatment programs that lease, manage, or own housing that is offered to individuals using the laboratory or outpatient treatment services to maintain separate housing contracts stating that payment for the housing is the patient's responsibility and does not depend on insurance benefits. The bill would require alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or treatment facilities to only offer discounted postdischarge housing and specified transportation services under certain conditions, including that the patient enters into a repayment plan for any subsidized rent. The bill would provide that violations of those provisions are punishable by the sanctions described above. This bill would require the department to establish an enforcement program focused on the duties to enforce these provisions, and would require staff of the enforcement program to provide the department with analytical support, general oversight and monitoring, and legal guidance regarding those provisions. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Sections 11831.6 and 11831.7 of the Health and Safety Code proposed by AB 920 to be operative only if this bill and AB 920 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.