AB 448: California Health Facilities Financing Authority Act: nondesignated hospitals: loan repayment.
A new law would require short-term residential therapeutic programs for children and youth to meet certain conditions. These programs, which provide intensive care and supervision, would need to ensure that at least one parent or guardian is residing at a single address within the state during the child's or youth's treatment. The program would also need to allow the child or youth to make confidential phone calls to their parent or guardian and provide access to suitable footwear. These requirements would need to be posted on the program's website, and the program would be subject to civil penalties or license suspension or revocation if the requirements are not met.
| Feb. 02, 2026 | From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. |
| Jan. 31, 2026 | Died pursuant to Art. IV, Sec. 10(c) of the Constitution. |
| Apr. 30, 2025 | From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 16. Noes 0.) (April 29). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. |
| Apr. 24, 2025 | Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96. |
| Apr. 22, 2025 | Re-referred to Com. on HUM. S. |
| Amended IN Assembly April 21, 2025 |
| Introduced by Assembly Member Patel (Coauthor: Assembly Member Jeff Gonzalez) (Coauthors: Senators Jones, Padilla, and Weber Pierson) |
February 06, 2025 |
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
Existing law, the California Community Care Facilities Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of community care and residential facilities, including short-term residential therapeutic programs, by the State Department of Social Services. A violation of the act is a misdemeanor. Existing law defines “short-term residential therapeutic program” as a residential facility licensed by the department and operated by any public agency or private organization that provides an integrated program of specialized and intensive care and supervision, services and supports, treatment, and short-term, 24-hour care and supervision to children, including foster children. Existing law requires a short-term residential therapeutic program to follow the requirements applicable to group homes, and to have national accreditation from an entity identified by the department pursuant to a specified process. Existing law requires a short-term residential therapeutic program to prepare and maintain a current, written plan of operation including, among other things, a statement of purposes and goals and a detailed program statement.
This bill additionally would require a short-term residential therapeutic program to ensure that at least one parent, or a legal guardian, will be residing at single, physical address within the state for the duration of the child’s or youth’s treatment. The bill also would require the short-term residential therapeutic program to ensure that a child or youth residing in the program facility is at all times able to make confidential telephone calls to their parent or legal guardian, as specified, and has access at all times to appropriate footwear that is suitable to be worn outdoors. The bill would require the short-term residential therapeutic program to post these requirements on its internet website. The bill would subject the short-term residential therapeutic program to civil penalties for violating those requirements, or license suspension or revocation if the violation causes harm to a child’s or youth’s health or safety. The bill would require the department to adopt regulations to implement, interpret, or make specific the bill’s requirements. Because a violation of the bill’s requirements by a short-term residential therapeutic program would be a crime, the 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 a specified reason.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 129400) is added to Part 6 of Division 107 of the Health and Safety Code, to read:CHAPTER 5. Health Facility Grants and Loans
129400.
The following definitions apply for purposes of this section:129401.
(a) The authority shall extend the repayment period as described in subdivision (b) for nondesignated public hospitals participating in the loan program authorized under Provision (1) of Item 0977-101-0001 of Section 2.00 of the Budget Act of 2022 (Chapter 45 of the Statutes of 2022) that had received a loan approval from, and entered into a loan and security agreement with, the authority, and that the authority has determined were unable to repay their loan by the time required under the loan and security agreement.(a)In addition to the requirements of Section 1562.01, a short-term residential therapeutic program shall do all of the following:
(1)Prior to accepting a child or youth for treatment, ensure that at least one parent, or a legal guardian, will be residing at single, physical address within the state for the duration of the child’s or youth’s treatment.
(2)Ensure that a child or youth residing in the program facility is at all times able to make confidential telephone calls to their parent or legal guardian. This requirement is subject to waiver by the department, the short-term residential therapeutic program, or the parent or guardian.
(3)Ensure that a child or youth residing in the program facility has access at all times to appropriate footwear that is suitable to be worn outdoors.
(b)The short-term residential therapeutic program shall prominently post the requirements described in subdivision (a) on its internet website.
(c)A short-term residential therapeutic program that violates the requirements described in subdivision (a) shall be subject to civil penalties in an amount not to exceed ____ dollars ($____) per violation per day. The total civil penalty shall not exceed ____ dollars ($____). If a violation causes harm to a child’s or youth’s health or safety, the department may also suspend or revoke the short-term residential therapeutic program’s license.
(d)The department shall adopt regulations necessary to implement, interpret, or make specific the requirements of this section.
No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.