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Senate Health Committee passes bill requiring faster DHCS probes of treatment facility complaints
Summary
The California Senate Committee on Health voted to pass SB 329 as amended, requiring the Department of Health Care Services to assign complaints about drug and alcohol recovery treatment facilities to an analyst within 10 days and complete investigations within 60 days; the bill was referred to the Appropriations Committee.
The Senate Committee on Health voted to pass SB 329 as amended and referred the bill to the Committee on Appropriations after testimony from city officials and behavioral health advocates.
SB 329 would require the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to assign a complaint about a drug or alcohol recovery treatment facility to an analyst within 10 days of receipt and to complete the investigation within 60 days. The author and supporters said the timelines match DHCS’s internal guidelines but would add statutory accountability.
Senator Blake Spear, who filed the measure, told the committee, "I'm happy for the opportunity to present SB 329 today. I will be accepting the committee amendments." Spear said a recent state audit and local data show DHCS misses its internal timelines and that statutory deadlines are needed to ensure responsiveness.
Valerie Amezcua, mayor of the city of Santa Ana, testified…
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