CALA News & Views | Issue 51 | Impact

RCFEs, CCRCs and the Residents They Serve Protecting

CALA succeeded in eliminating a provision from SB 1352 (Wahab) that would have had the unintended effect of ending CCRC contracting as it currently exists, and instead offered an alternative approach to clarify that CCRC residents are to be given a copy of the applicable resident rights based on the licensed unit into which they are moving. The governor signed this bill and it becomes law Jan. 1, 2025. A resident’s right to visit with family and loved ones is long-standing and a fundamental need. As we saw during the pandemic, government policies that undervalue the significance of in-person visits and prevent those visits for long periods of time, risked harm to older adults. CALA supported AB 2075 (Alvarez) and helped create a reasonable proposal to ensure that visits with family and loved ones are respected during public health emergencies when appropriate safeguards are followed. While this bill did not make it to the governor’s desk due to anticipated state costs, the effort raised awareness of this critical need among lawmakers and stakeholders and provides a roadmap for future efforts.

CALA succeeded in fighting off the devastating misapplication of apartment-style rent control and the unraveling of the RCFE licensure framework in SB 1406 (Allen) . Originally, this bill would have imposed price controls on RCFEs without regard to the costs of delivering 24/7 care and services, ultimately jeopardizing care to residents. CALA worked with Senator Allen to replace that language with a framework that would reflect the realities of this labor-intensive model of care. Also eliminated from the bill was a prohibition on delivering and charging for needed resident services – clearly an untenable proposition that would have perpetuated self-neglect and put residents at risk. The final version of the bill removed all reference to rate increase restrictions and instead extends the resident notice of rate increases from 60 to 90 days and restates a resident’s right to refuse services (while not restricting the licensee’s obligation to provide needed services and the ability to charge for those services as outlined in admission agreements). The governor signed this bill and it becomes law Jan. 1, 2025.

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