Transitional housing placement providers.

Existing law, the California Community Care Facilities Act, requires the State Department of Social Services to license and regulate transitional housing placement providers pursuant to the act. Under existing law, a transitional housing placement provider is an organization licensed by the department to provide transitional housing to foster children at least 16 years of age and not more than 18 years of age and to nonminor dependents to promote their transition to adulthood. Existing law requires a transitional housing unit to include, among other things, a host family certified by a transitional housing placement provider or other designated entity, as prescribed. Existing law requires the department to adopt regulations governing transitional housing placement living arrangements requirements for minors and nonminor dependents, as prescribed. Under existing law, a violation of the act is a misdemeanor. This bill would require those regulations to include allowing a minor or nonminor dependent participant to share a bedroom or unit in a transitional housing placement with a nonparticipant roommate, sibling, or coparent, as specified. The bill would also require the regulations to allow a minor or nonminor dependent participant to share their living arrangement with another participant, including a participant sibling or coparent, as specified. The bill would require the regulations to require counties and program contracts to allow individual program participants and individuals sharing their living arrangements to share bedrooms, bathrooms, and units together, regardless of gender identity and would require county program contracts to allow providers and participants to make best matches to allow for gender flexibility. The bill would authorize the department to implement, interpret, or make specific the requirements of the bill by means of all-county letters or similar instructions from the department until regulations are adopted. By changing requirements for transitional housing placement program providers, a violation of which would be a crime, and by increasing related county duties, 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 specified reasons.