BILL ANALYSIS
AB 304
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Date of Hearing: April 10, 2007
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES
Jim Beall Jr., Chair
AB 304 (Huff) - As Amended: April 9, 2007
SUBJECT : Community care facilities; disaster and mass casualty
plans
SUMMARY : Requires licensed community care facilities to provide
a copy of their disaster and mass casualty plan to fire, police
and disaster authorities in the area upon request.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Requires that community care facilities which are licensed or
have a special permit for specialized services provide a copy
of their disaster and mass casualty plan to the fire
department, law enforcement agencies, and civil defense and
other disaster authorities in the area in which the facility
is located upon request by the entity.
2)Provides that the provision setting forth criminal penalties
for violating rules or regulations promulgated under the
Community Care Facilities Act not apply to this bill.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Provides for the licensure and regulation of community care
facilities and for criminal sanctions for a violation of those
provisions.
2)Requires any person desiring issuance of a license for a
community care facility or a special permit for specialized
services to file an application with the State Department of
Social Services (DSS).
3)Authorizes DSS to adopt rules and regulations to carry out the
purposes and intent of the Community Care Facilities Act and
to enable DSS to exercise the powers and perform the duties
conferred upon it.
4)Requires, by regulation, every licensee under the Act to
maintain on file a current, written disaster and mass casualty
plan of action, with specified elements.
AB 304
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FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : This bill mandates that community care facilities
provide upon request their disaster and mass casualty plan of
action to local entities or authorities responsible for
providing emergency services. According to the author, "Without
such information, local emergency response teams have a more
difficult time planning for disaster if such should occur, since
they have no information on these facilities, their residents,
and what type of care the residents may need in case of
disaster."
Community care facilities include those for children as well as
adults: child care homes and centers, group homes, foster
homes, transitional housing placement programs, social
rehabilitation facilities and residential care facilities for
the elderly and chronically ill. As of February 1, 2007, there
were over 88,000 licensed facilities with a capacity to serve
over 1.4 million persons.
The Department of Social Services, through its Community Care
Licensing Division, regulates these facilities pursuant to the
California Community Care Licensing Act. Section 800023 of
Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations requires
community care licensees to "have and maintain on file a
current, written disaster and mass casualty plan of action."
The plan must include contingency plans in the case of fires,
floods and earthquakes, including means of exiting,
transportation arrangements, relocation sites, arrangements for
supervision of clients and means of contacting local agencies,
"including but not limited to the fire department, law
enforcement agencies, and civil defense and other disaster
authorities."
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
California Assisted Living Association
City of Villa Park
Community Residential Care Association of California
Opposition
None on file.
AB 304
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Analysis Prepared by : Casey McKeever / HUM. S. / (916)
319-2089