AB 2135: Long-term health care facilities.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

(1)Existing law provides for the licensing and regulation of health facilities, including, but not limited to, long-term health care facilities, as defined, by the State Department of Health Care Services. Existing law requires a contract for admission to a long-term care facility to state that a resident shall not be involuntarily transferred within, or discharged from, a long-term health care facility unless the resident is given reasonable notice in writing, and transfer or discharge planning, as specified. Willful or repeated violations of the provisions relating to long-term health care facilities is a misdemeanor.

This bill would require long-term health care facilities to provide residents with a notice of a facility-initiated transfer or discharge at least 30 days before a resident is transferred or discharged, unless an exception applies. The bill would require the notice of transfer or discharge to be acknowledged by the signature of the resident or, if applicable, the resident’s representative. The bill would make a violation of these provisions a class “B” violation and would make knowingly making a false verification regarding the delivery of a notice of transfer or discharge a willful violation for purposes of the criminal provision described above.

The bill would require a notice of discharge or transfer to be provided to a resident and, if applicable, the resident’s representative in a translated or accessible format at the same time as the written notice in English if the resident’s primary language is not English or if the resident is vision impaired or blind, as specified. The bill would also require the translated or accessible-format notices to be made available to the local long-term care ombudsman upon request. The bill would require the translator to attest, under penalty of perjury, to the accuracy of the translation, thereby expanding the crime of perjury. The bill would require a resident’s primary language or sensory impairments to be included in the minimum dataset maintained by the facility. The bill would make a violation of these provisions a class “B” violation.

Existing law requires that a copy of the notice of transfer or discharge be sent to the local long-term care ombudsman at the same time notice is provided to the resident or the resident’s representative by facsimile machine, email, or first-class mail, as specified. Existing law requires, if a resident is subject to a facility-initiated transfer to a general acute care hospital on an emergency basis, the notice to be provided to the local long-term care ombudsman as soon as practicable.

This bill would instead require the notices described above to be sent to the long-term care ombudsman by facsimile, email, or other electronic means. For emergency transfer notices, the bill would require a copy of the notice to be provided to the local long-term care ombudsman as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 24 hours after the transfer.

Because a willful or repeated violation of long-term care facilities provisions is a crime and because the crime of perjury is expanded, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 1

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. August 13, 2026In committee: Held under submission.
2. August 3, 2026In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.
3. June 30, 2026Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
4. June 30, 2026Withdrawn from committee.
5. June 29, 2026Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
6. June 25, 2026From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (June 24).
7. June 4, 2026From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.
8. May 27, 2026Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and JUD.
9. May 14, 2026In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
10. May 14, 2026Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 68. Noes 1. Page 5049.)
11. May 7, 2026Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
12. May 6, 2026From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (May 6).