Cal Cities-sponsored recovery housing bills clear key legislative hurdles

By Caroline Grinder, legislative affairs lobbyist

Three bills sponsored by Cal Cities passed policy committees and are headed to appropriations, marking a major milestone in the fight to create more oversight and transparency to protect residents and hold bad actors accountable. Committee members will need to vote on the bills before May 17, the last day for fiscal committees to hear bills introduced in their house.

The Assembly Health Committee heard AB 2574 (Valencia) this week. The measure would expand reporting requirements for licensed treatment facility operators to improve the Department of Health Care Services' (DHCS) oversight of sober living homes operating as an integral part of a licensed treatment facility located elsewhere in the community.

Santa Ana Council Member David Penaloza provided lead witness support testimony on AB 2574 alongside Cal Cities staff. "Santa Ana, as well as many other cities in Orange County, is home to many recovery residences," Penaloza explained. "[AB 2574] will help DCHS provide better oversight and the ability to investigate [the] financial relationships between recovery residences and treatment facilities."

The measure passed out of committee with overwhelming bipartisan support and is headed to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

Lawmakers also heard SB 913 (Umberg) in the Senate Judiciary Committee this week. SB 913 would augment state licensing efforts by requiring DHCS to adopt a process that allows cities to request approval to conduct site visits and enforce compliance with existing state licensing laws.

Alexandra Halfman, Assistant City Attorney for Mission Viejo, testified on the measure with Cal Cities staff. She explained that cities like this bill "because right now all [we receive] are complaints about these facilities and there is nothing we can do about them … and that leaves people feeling unheard."

Despite ongoing opposition, SB 913 passed out of committee with solid bipartisan support. The bill is now headed to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

AB 2081 (Davies) passed out of the Assembly Health Committee in early April and is also headed to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. AB 2081 would require operators of licensed treatment facilities to disclose to potential patients that they can check the Department of Health Care Services website to confirm a facility's compliance with state licensing laws.

"This is critical for patients and their families to know, when they are seeking a treatment program, that they are getting a reliable and reputable operator who puts patient care first," Laguna Niguel City Manager Tamara Letourneau told lawmakers.

Cities are encouraged to weigh in on these important bills. Cal Cities has template support letters available for each bill - just click the bill links above.

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