SACRAMENTO – Sen. Catherine Blakespear, D-Encinitas, on Tuesday introduced legislation to require timely investigations into complaints about alcohol or drug treatment facilities after a state audit revealed responses can presently take more than a year.

SB 329 would require the state Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), the department responsible, to assign complaints about treatment facilities to staff within 10 days of receiving them and complete an investigation within 60 days. A state audit released in October 2024 found that the department took more than a year to complete 22 of 60 investigations it reviewed.

“Good government means acting quickly and decisively to protect the health and safety of the community. If an alcohol or drug treatment facility is not following state regulations and jeopardizing the health or safety of its residents or neighbors, the state should act promptly,” Sen. Blakespear said. “SB 329 ensures that the state will investigate complaints in a timely fashion, which is crucial for protecting residents of treatment facilities.”

Common complaints can include sexual misconduct, poor management of medications for residents, insufficient detoxification checks, using unlicensed counselors, failing to provide services advertised and other issues.

Alcohol and substance abuse is a widespread problem in California, with nearly 100,000 Californians receiving treatment for it in 2019, according to the audit.

California has 980 drug and alcohol treatment centers licensed with DHCS, with many located in Orange and San Diego counties. Orange County has more beds for small treatment facilities per 10,000 residents than any other California county.

“The state’s own auditor has confirmed what cities have been saying for years: There is a lack of transparency, accountability, and information available to our communities when concerns over recovery housing facilities arise,” said League of California Cities Executive Director and CEO Carolyn Coleman. “Cal Cities is proud to sponsor SB 329, which will ensure swift and efficient investigations of complaints against recovery housing facilities to protect the public health and safety of our residents and those receiving care.”

DHCS’s internal guidelines call for assigning complaints to staff to follow up on within 10 days and for investigations to be completed and sent to a supervisor within 30 to 60 days. For complaints not assigned within 10 days, however, it took the department an average of 183 days to get assigned, the audit said. Furthermore, it took DHCS nearly a year, on average, to complete investigations into low- and medium-priority complaints, it said.

“When Health Care Services does not complete an investigation in a timely manner, deficiencies may go unaddressed for significant periods,” the audit said.

By setting timelines for investigations in statute, SB 329 ensures that complaints about drug and alcohol treatment facilities will be methodically and expeditiously pursued.

Blakespear represents Senate District 38, which covers northern San Diego County and part of southern Orange County. To learn more about the district and Sen. Blakespear, visit her Senate website.