Residential care facilities for the elderly: housing protections.

Senator Wahab's residential care facility legislation extends eviction notice periods and mandates comprehensive discharge planning requirements for California's elderly care homes. The measure establishes a tiered notification system requiring facilities to provide 30, 60, or 90 days' notice based on length of residency, while maintaining the existing three-day notice option with department approval.

Under the new provisions, residential care facilities must document their efforts to create safe discharge plans that outline residents' post-eviction needs and identify suitable alternative housing options. These plans must list potential facilities within 60 miles that can meet residents' care requirements and financial circumstances, including Medi-Cal coverage where applicable. The bill requires facilities to notify both the resident's designated responsible person and the local long-term care ombudsman of pending evictions.

The legislation prohibits facilities from denying entry to residents during the notice period and eviction process. Facilities that violate this provision face civil penalties of $10,000 plus $1,000 per day of continued refusal, along with potential misdemeanor charges. The bill maintains existing requirements for facilities to provide residents with information about their right to contest evictions and file complaints with licensing authorities.