2023 California Code › Health and Safety Code - HSC › DIVISION 2 - LICENSING PROVISIONS › CHAPTER 3 - California Community Care Facilities Act › ARTICLE 3 - Regulations › Section 1538.5.

1538.5. (a) (1) Not less than 30 days prior to the anniversary of the effective date of a residential community care facility license, except licensed foster family homes, the department may transmit a copy to the board members of the licensed facility, parents, legal guardians, conservators, clients’ rights advocates, or placement agencies, as designated in each resident’s placement agreement, of all inspection reports given to the facility by the department during the past year as a result of a substantiated complaint regarding a violation of this chapter relating to resident abuse and neglect, food, sanitation, incidental medical care, and residential supervision. During that one-year period the copy of the notices transmitted and the proof of the transmittal shall be open for public inspection.
(2) The department may transmit copies of the inspection reports referred to in paragraph (1) concerning a group home or short-term residential therapeutic program, as defined by regulations of the department, to the county in which the group home or short-term residential therapeutic program is located, if requested by that county.
(3) A group home or short-term residential therapeutic program shall maintain, at the facility, a copy of all licensing reports for the past three years that would be accessible to the public through the department, for inspection by placement officials, current and prospective facility clients, and these clients’ family members who visit the facility.
(b) The facility operator, at the expense of the facility, shall transmit a copy of all substantiated complaints, by certified mail, to those persons described pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) in the following cases:
(1) In the case of a substantiated complaint relating to resident physical or sexual abuse, the facility shall have three days from the date the facility receives the licensing report from the department to comply.
(2) In the case in which a facility has received three or more substantiated complaints relating to the same violation during the past 12 months, the facility shall have five days from the date the facility receives the licensing report to comply.
(c) A residential facility shall retain a copy of the notices transmitted pursuant to subdivision (b) and proof of their transmittal by certified mail for a period of one year after their transmittal.
(d) If a residential facility to which this section applies fails to comply with this section, as determined by the department, the department shall initiate civil penalty action against the facility in accordance with this article and the related rules and regulations.
(e) Not less than 30 days prior to the anniversary of the effective date of the license of any group home or short-term residential therapeutic program, as defined by regulations of the department, at the request of the county in which the group home or short-term residential therapeutic program is located, a group home or short-term residential therapeutic program shall transmit to the county a copy of all incident reports prepared by the group home or short-term residential therapeutic program and transmitted to a placement agency, as described in subdivision (f) of Section 1536.1, in a county other than the county in which the group home or short-term residential therapeutic program is located that involved a response by local law enforcement or emergency services personnel, including runaway incidents. The county shall designate an official for the receipt of the incident reports and shall notify the group home or short-term residential therapeutic program of the designation. Prior to transmitting copies of incident reports to the county, the group home or short-term residential therapeutic program shall redact the name of any child referenced in the incident reports, and other identifying information regarding any child referenced in the reports. The county may review the incident reports to ensure that the group home or short-term residential therapeutic program has taken appropriate action to ensure the health and safety of the residents of the facility.
(f) The department shall notify the residential community care facility of its obligation when it is required to comply with this section.
(Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 612, Sec. 45. (AB 1997) Effective January 1, 2017.)