Bill Sponsor
California Senate Bill 490
Session 20252026
Alcohol and drug programs.
Active
Active
Vetoed by Governor on Sep 30, 2026
First Action
Feb 19, 2025
Latest Action
Sep 30, 2026
Origin Chamber
Senate
Type
Bill
Bill Number
490
State
California
Session
20252026
Sponsorship by Party
Democrat
Author
Democrat
Coauthor
Summary
Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of adult alcohol or other drug recovery or treatment facilities by the State Department of Public Health and prohibits the operation of one of those facilities without a current valid license. Existing law requires the department, if a facility is alleged to be in violation of that prohibition, to conduct a site visit to investigate the allegation. Existing law requires, if the department's employee or agent finds evidence that the facility is providing services without a license, the employee or agent to take specified actions, including, among others, submitting the findings of the investigation to the department and issuing a written notice to the facility that includes the date by which the facility is required to cease providing services. Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services, through fee-for-service or managed care delivery systems. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law establishes the Drug Medi-Cal Treatment Program (Drug Medi-Cal) and authorizes the department to enter into a Drug Medi-Cal contract with each county for the provision of alcohol and drug use services within the county service area. This bill would require the department, if it determines it has jurisdiction over the allegation, to assign the complaint to an analyst within 10 days of receiving the allegation and, except as specified, complete the investigation within 120 days of assigning the complaint. The bill would require the department, if it receives a complaint that does not fall under its jurisdiction, to notify, to the extent feasible, the complainant that it does not investigate that type of complaint. The bill would require the employee or agent to provide their findings to the department and would require the department to issue the notice described above within 10 days of the employee or agency submitting their findings and to conduct a followup site visit to determine whether the facility has ceased providing services as required. The bill would authorize, in counties that elect to administer the Drug Medi-Cal organized delivery system and that provide optional recovery housing services, the county behavioral health agency to request approval from the department to conduct a site visit of a recovery residence that the county contracts with that is alleged to be operating without a license. The bill would permit the department to approve that request in certain circumstances, including that the department has sufficient evidence to substantiate the allegation. Existing law requires licensed adult alcohol or other drug recovery or treatment facilities and certified alcohol or other drug programs to disclose to the department whether any of its agents, partners, directors, officers, or owners has a specified interest in a recovery residence and requires the department to take action against an unlicensed facility that is disclosed as a recovery residence. This bill would require the department, if it takes action against a recovery residence pursuant to that provision, to conduct a site visit of a certified program or licensed facility that has disclosed the specified interest in the recovery residence. The bill would also require, no later than July 15, 2027, and by July 15 each year thereafter, that all programs certified or facilities licensed by the department submit to the department a report of all money transfers between the program or facility and a recovery residence during the previous fiscal year, in order to detect patient brokering, illicit kickbacks, or unethical inducements that harm patients. The bill would require the department to analyze that data and develop guidelines for permissible and impermissible transfers.
Documents (10)
09/30/2026
Senate
In Senate. Consideration of Governor's veto pending.
09/30/2026
Senate
Vetoed by the Governor.
09/02/2026
California State Legislature
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
08/27/2026
Senate
Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 40. Noes 0.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
08/25/2026
Senate
In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
08/25/2026
Assembly
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 77. Noes 0. Page 6525.) Ordered to the Senate.
08/21/2026
Assembly
Ordered to third reading.
08/21/2026
Assembly
Read third time and amended.
08/21/2026
Assembly
Assembly Rule 69(b)(1) suspended. (Ayes 55. Noes 17. Page 6296.)
08/13/2026
Assembly
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
08/13/2026
Assembly
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (August 13).
08/13/2026
Assembly
Assembly Rule 63 suspended.
08/05/2026
Assembly
August 5 set for first hearing. Placed on suspense file.
07/02/2026
Assembly
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
07/01/2026
Assembly
From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 16. Noes 0.) (June 30).
06/18/2026
Assembly
Pursuant to Assembly Rule 51.
06/18/2026
Assembly
Referred to Com. on HEALTH.
01/26/2026
Assembly
In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
01/26/2026
Senate
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 3283.) Ordered to the Assembly.
01/22/2026
Senate
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
01/22/2026
Senate
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 3269.) (January 22).
01/21/2026
Senate
Set for hearing January 22.
01/20/2026
Senate
January 20 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
01/15/2026
Senate
Set for hearing January 20.
01/15/2026
Senate
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 0. Page 3224.) (January 14). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
01/06/2026
Senate
Set for hearing January 14.
01/05/2026
Senate
Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.
01/05/2026
Senate
Re-referred to Com. on RLS.
01/05/2026
Senate
Withdrawn from committee.
01/05/2026
Senate
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
04/03/2025
Senate
April 8 set for second hearing canceled at the request of author.
03/27/2025
Senate
Set for hearing April 8.
03/26/2025
Senate
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
03/21/2025
Senate
March 25 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.
03/07/2025
Senate
Set for hearing March 25.
02/26/2025
Senate
Referred to Com. on PUB. S.
02/20/2025
Senate
From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 22.
02/19/2025
Senate
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.
Sources
Record Created
Feb 20, 2025 5:53:29 AM
Record Updated
Oct 7, 2026 9:05:38 AM