Health and care facilities: licensing during emergencies or disasters.

A California Senate measure introduced by Senator Stern establishes new protocols for health and care facilities during declared emergencies, creating mechanisms for license suspension and fee waivers when facilities become nonoperational due to disasters. The legislation requires skilled nursing facilities to update their emergency plans every five years with input from local coordinators, while mandating residential care facilities for the elderly to share disaster plans with medical health operational area coordinators.

The bill creates a framework for facilities destroyed or significantly damaged during emergencies to maintain their licenses through a "disaster suspension" status if they notify state authorities within six months of their intent to rebuild or relocate. This applies to a broad range of entities including nursing homes, childcare centers, residential care facilities, and drug treatment programs. Facilities rebuilding after fire damage may receive annual licensing fee waivers.

For the first 30 days following an emergency declaration, the measure waives in-person attendance requirements for adult day services and childcare programs affected by facility closures. The Department of Social Services must coordinate with local building, fire, and childcare officials to expedite inspections and licensing for facilities resuming operations post-disaster. Facilities licensed by multiple state departments will have their recovery processes coordinated across agencies.

The legislation responds to the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires that destroyed numerous licensed care facilities. It aims to preserve service capacity in affected communities by providing regulatory flexibility during rebuilding while maintaining safety standards through continued oversight and emergency planning requirements.