Involuntary residential facilities: health and safety inspections.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not specify what happens if a facility refuses an inspection, leaving that detail uncertain.

Health and Safety Checks for Special Housing Places

This law allows the State Department of Public Health to inspect special housing places that keep more than 50 people overnight and limit their freedom, ensuring they are clean, safe, and healthy.

What This Bill Does

• Allows the State Department of Public Health to inspect involuntary residential facilities for health and safety issues.
• Requires these facilities to let inspectors in without notice under certain conditions.
• Makes operators correct any problems found during inspections or face penalties.
• Requires the department to report findings from inspections to lawmakers within 30 days.
• Instructs the department to work with other groups when making rules for these facilities.

Who It Names or Affects

• Operators of involuntary residential facilities housing more than 50 people overnight.
• The State Department of Public Health and local health agencies.
• Residents in involuntary residential facilities.

Terms To Know

Involuntary Residential Facility

A place that houses over 50 individuals overnight, restricts their ability to enter or leave freely, and provides certain services on-site.

Unnoticed Inspection

An inspection conducted by the State Department of Public Health without prior notice to the facility operator.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify what happens if a facility refuses an inspection.
• It is unclear how this law will interact with existing oversight from local health agencies.
• The exact penalties for violating the requirements are not detailed in the summary.

Official Summary Text

SB 995, as amended, Pérez.
Involuntary residential facilities: health and safety inspections.
Existing law requires the operator of a private detention facility, as defined, to comply with, and adhere to, the detention standards of care and confinement agreed upon in the facility’s contract for operations, as specified. Existing law requires a private detention facility operator to comply with, and adhere to, all local and state public health orders and occupational safety and health regulations.
This bill, the Masuma Khan Justice Act, would authorize the State Department of Public Health to inspect an involuntary residential facility, defined as a facility that houses more than 50 individuals overnight, restricts residents’ ability to enter or leave, as specified, and provides specified onsite services, for the limited purpose of ensuring sanitary, hygienic, and safe conditions, using standards and inspection protocols consistent with
those applied to licensed residential health facilities. The bill would authorize unnoticed inspections under specified conditions. The bill would require the department, within 30 days of completing an inspection, to submit a report to the Legislature.
The bill would require the operator of a facility to provide access to the department for an inspection described above, to maintain all records necessary to demonstrate compliance with the above-described standards, and to correct any violation identified by the department, as specified. The bill would make a violation of the
above described
above
-described
requirements by an operator of a facility, after appropriate notice and an opportunity for a hearing, subject to an administrative penalty, as specified, per violation per day. If an operator fails to correct a violation within the time specified in the citation, the bill would authorize the department to issue a safety warning that identifies the uncorrected condition and requires prompt corrective action by the operator. The bill would authorize the department to refer violations to the Attorney General, and would authorize the Attorney General to bring a civil action for declaratory or injunctive relief.
The bill would require the department to adopt rules and regulations to ensure that all involuntary residential facilities comply with measurable standards for sanitary, hygienic, and safe conditions and
would require the department to consult with specified organizations in the development of these standards.
The bill would require the department to implement the above-described provisions in a manner that avoids unnecessary duplication of existing state or local health and safety oversight, as specified.
The bill would declare that its provisions are severable.
The bill would make related findings and declarations.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF