BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2221
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 2221 (Beall)
As Amended April 27, 2010
Majority vote
HEALTH 18-0 APPROPRIATIONS 16-0
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|Ayes:|Monning, Fletcher, |Ayes:|Fuentes, Conway, Ammiano, |
| |Ammiano, Carter, Conway, | |Bradford, Coto, Davis, |
| |Caballero, Emmerson, Eng, | |Hill, Hall, Harkey, |
| |Gaines, Hayashi, | |Miller, Nielsen, Norby, |
| |Hernandez, Jones, Bonnie | |Skinner, Solorio, |
| |Lowenthal, Nava, | |Torlakson, Torrico |
| |V. Manuel Perez, Salas, | | |
| |Smyth, Audra Strickland | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Expands the category of residential treatment
facilities licensed by the Department of Alcohol and Drug
Programs (DADP) to include facilities that provide limited
residential medical services to adults recovering from alcohol
and drug abuse that are not required to have a separate health
facility license.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Establishes DADP to license treatment facilities that provide
a broad range of services in a supportive environment to
adults who are addicted to alcohol or drugs.
2)Defines a "treatment facility" as any premise, place, or
building that provides 24-hour residential non medical services
to adults who are recovering from problems related to alcohol,
drug, or alcohol and drug misuse or abuse, and who need
alcohol, drug, or alcohol and drug recovery treatment or
detoxification services.
3)Defines residential nonmedical services provided by a licensed
treatment facility to mean recovery services, treatment
services, and detoxification services.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, costs should be minor and absorbable within existing
AB 2221
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resources.
COMMENTS : According to the sponsor, the California Society of
Addiction Medicine (CSAM), this bill is intended to ensure that
California's physicians maintain their vital role in providing
medical services to individuals withdrawing from alcohol and
other drugs. CSAM notes that this bill updates the existing
definition of a residential treatment facility to allow DADP to
license and regulate treatment facilities that provide medical
services, limited to routine services within the scope of
practice of an addiction medicine specialist.
DADP licenses residential treatment facilities to provide
nonmedical services to individuals who are working to overcome
their addiction to alcohol or other drugs. According to DADP,
these services include education, group, or individual sessions;
recovery or treatment planning; and, detoxification services.
In addition, a licensed treatment facility may offer
individualized services, such as vocational and employment
search training, community volunteer opportunities, new skills
training, peer support, social and recreational activities, and
information about and referral to appropriate community
services. This bill would require DADP to extend its licensing
authority to facilities that use a multidisciplinary team,
including an available physician, to provide residential medical
services that do not require it to obtain a separate health
facility license.
According to DADP, since current law only authorizes it to
license nonmedical services, many larger licensed facilities
enter into contracting arrangements with physicians to provide
medical services on-site, such as treatment of medical symptoms
associated with addiction, including post withdrawal
hypertension, seizure prevention, and impaired liver function.
Residents of smaller facilities (six beds or less) that provide
detoxification services are currently required to obtain medical
clearance from a physician off-site before participating in a
detoxification program. This bill would enable DADP to license
treatment facilities with programs that include physicians on
site to provide medical clearance and assist with other limited
medical services, such as routine physicals, communicable
disease screening, vital sign assessment, and the prescribing,
administering, and dispensing of medications for withdrawal
symptoms.
AB 2221
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Analysis Prepared by : Cassie Rafanan / HEALTH / (916)
319-2097
FN: 0004327