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Committee backs disclosure requirement for staffing levels at assisted‑living homes
Summary
AB 508 would require licensed residential care facilities for the elderly (RCFEs) to calculate and provide daily staffing information to residents and prospective residents; the committee passed the bill as amended and re‑referred it for appropriations amid testimony from family members and industry groups.
Assemblymember Aguiar‑Curry presented AB 508 to the Assembly Aging and Long Term Care Committee, saying the bill would empower consumers to make more informed decisions by requiring residential care facilities for the elderly (RCFEs) — commonly called assisted‑living facilities — to disclose daily staffing information upon request, at admission, and when rates increase.
"RCFEs are not held to the same standards" as skilled nursing facilities, Aguiar‑Curry said, noting that staff ratios and retained staffing data are not currently required for RCFEs as they are for skilled nursing facilities. The bill's sponsor and supporters said the disclosure is strictly informational and does not establish minimum staffing levels.
Tony Chikatello of California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform testified in support, saying staffing levels generally correlate with quality of care and that a simple calculation (hours of direct care per day divided by number of residents) would help families choose facilities. Kathy Mondragon, who testified in support, described the death of her father while in an RCFE and said staff told investigators the facility had chronic understaffing.
Opponents included the California Assisted Living Association, 6Beds Inc., LeadingAge California and several small providers who said the bill as written placed an undue burden on small, family‑run RCFEs and could require daily website updates or administrative tasks beyond their capacity. Olivia Deanda of 6Beds Inc. said small, home‑like operations are not set up for daily public reporting but expressed willingness to disclose staffing information on request. Danielle Parsons of the California Assisted Living Association said the association is working with the author toward a compromise.
Assemblymember Aguiar‑Curry told the committee the bill is intended as a transparency measure, not a mandate for minimum staffing. She accepted committee amendments prior to the vote. The committee moved the bill by motion; a roll call later in the hearing recorded the committee's decision to pass AB 508 as amended and re-refer it to the Committee on Appropriations.
The committee accepted testimony from both family advocates and industry representatives and directed continued negotiations on technical and implementation details before the bill's next referral.
