BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2629
Page 1
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 2629 (Bonnie Lowenthal)
As Amended June 16, 2010
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |72-0 |(May 20, 2010) |SENATE: |33-0 |(August 5, |
| | | | | |2010) |
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Original Committee Reference: AGING & L.T.C.
SUMMARY : Clarifies admission and retention requirements for
temporarily bedridden individuals in residential care
facilities. Specifically, this bill :
1)Specifies that the status of being bedridden shall not include
a temporary illness or recovery from surgery that persists for
less than two weeks.
2)Specifies that no individual shall be admitted to or retained
in a residential facility if he or she requires 24-hour
skilled nursing care, except facilities licensed as an Adult
Residential Facility for Persons with Special Health Care
Needs.
3)Allows a bedridden individual to be retained in a residential
facility in excess of 14 days if the following requirements
are met:
a) The facility notifies the Department of Social Services
(DSS) in writing that the person is recovering from a
temporary illness or surgery;
b) The facility submits to DSS a physician and surgeon's
written statement to the effect that the individual's
illness or recovery is of a temporary nature. The
statement must contain an estimated date upon which the
illness or recovery is expected to end or upon which the
client is expected to no longer be confined to bed; and,
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c) DSS determines that the individual's health and safety
is adequately protected in the facility and that transfer
to a higher level of care is not necessary.
4)Specifies that by allowing temporarily bedridden individuals
to remain in a residential care facility, the scope of care
and supervision of that facility is not expanded.
5)States that notwithstanding the length of stay of a bedridden
individual, every residential facility admitting or retaining
a bedridden individual shall, within 48 hours of the
individual's admission or retention in the facility, notify
the fire authority having jurisdiction of the estimated length
of time that the individual will be bedridden.
6)Makes clarifying, technical changes to existing law.
The Senate amendments make technical changes and further clarify
the prohibition on admitting or retaining residents requiring
24-hour skilled nursing care in residential care facilities.
AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this bill extended the same allowance
for residential care facilities to admit and retain temporarily
bedridden residents that exists for residential care facilities
for the elderly (RCFE).
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee, pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, negligible state costs.
COMMENTS :
DSS is responsible for licensing several types of residential
facilities, however only RCFEs have flexibility when it comes to
admitting or retaining a temporarily bedridden resident. This
bill will extend the same allowances for temporarily bedridden
residents or clients that exist in RCFEs to other residential
care facilities licensed by DSS, including adult residential
facilities and residential care facilities for the
chronically-ill.
Residential care facilities are currently allowed to admit and
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retain "bedridden" residents provided the facility meets certain
criteria, including fire safety precautions. This bill does not
expand the admission or retention criteria, nor does it relax
existing standards for fire safety, care, or staffing.
California has a large number of residential care facilities,
including approximately 5,310 licensed adult residential
facilities, with a total capacity of 41,364 residents. In
addition, DSS licenses 21 residential care facilities for the
chronically-ill, with a total capacity of 347 residents.
Analysis Prepared by : Allison Ruff / AGING & L.T.C. / (916)
319-3990
FN: 0005559