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<ns0:Id>20250AB__259899INT</ns0:Id>
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<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-02-20</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
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<ns0:MeasureType>AB</ns0:MeasureType>
<ns0:MeasureNum>2598</ns0:MeasureNum>
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<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Krell</ns0:AuthorText>
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<ns0:Legislator>
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<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Krell</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Title> An act to add Sections 1293.3 and 1569.492 to the Health and Safety Code, and to amend Section 7600.5 of the Probate Code, relating to health care facilities.</ns0:Title>
<ns0:RelatingClause>health care facilities</ns0:RelatingClause>
<ns0:GeneralSubject>
<ns0:Subject>Health care facilities: notification of next of kin.</ns0:Subject>
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<ns0:DigestText>
<html:p>Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of health facilities, including general acute care hospitals and skilled nursing facilities, by the State Department of Public Health. A violation of these provisions is generally a crime. Existing law, the California Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of residential care facilities for the elderly by the State Department of Social Services. A violation of the act is a misdemeanor.</html:p>
<html:p>Under existing law, if a person dies in a hospital, convalescent hospital, or board and care facility without known next of kin, the person in charge of the hospital or facility is required to give immediate notice of that fact to the public administrator of the county in which the hospital or facility is located, and if the person in charge fails to do so, the
hospital or facility is liable for the cost of internment, as specified, and specified losses incurred by the estate or beneficiaries as a result of the failure to notify.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would instead require a hospital, convalescent hospital, or board and care facility to make a reasonable attempt to notify any known next of kin that the person died in the facility, or if the body of a person is transferred to a hospital after death, the person in charge of the hospital or facility to make a reasonable attempt to notify any known next of kin that the person’s body is being held by the hospital, and if after a reasonable attempt the facility cannot notify next of kin, to give notice to the public administrator as described above. The bill would make a hospital or a residential care facility for the elderly that fails to notify any known next of kin liable for a civil penalty of $200 per day, up to a maximum of $50,000, measured from the time it would take to make a
reasonable effort to notify the next of kin, as determined by the State Department of Public Health or the State Department of Social Services, as applicable, until the actual knowledge by the next of kin of the decedent’s death. The bill would authorize the applicable department to assess a penalty after notice and an opportunity to be heard.</html:p>
<html:p>Because a violation of the above-described provisions by a hospital or a residential care facility for the elderly would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.</html:p>
<html:p>The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.</html:p>
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<ns0:VoteRequired>MAJORITY</ns0:VoteRequired>
<ns0:Appropriation>NO</ns0:Appropriation>
<ns0:FiscalCommittee>YES</ns0:FiscalCommittee>
<ns0:LocalProgram>YES</ns0:LocalProgram>
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<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
<ns0:BillSection id="id_32F19645-A364-4CBD-B72B-5606C4D23CDC">
<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
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Section 1293.3 is added to the
<ns0:DocName>Health and Safety Code</ns0:DocName>
, to read:
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<ns0:Num>1293.3.</ns0:Num>
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(a)
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Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, a hospital that violates Section 7600.5 of the Probate Code by failing to make a reasonable effort to notify any known next of kin shall be liable for a civil penalty in the amount of two hundred dollars ($200) for each day of the violation, up to fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), measured from the time it would take to make a reasonable effort to notify the next of kin, as determined by the department, until the actual knowledge by the next of kin of the decedent’s death.
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<html:p>
(b)
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The State Department of Public Health may, after notice and an opportunity to be heard, assess the penalty described in subdivision (a).
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<html:p>
(c)
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This
section does not preclude the application of any other existing civil remedies provided by law.
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 2.</ns0:Num>
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Section 1569.492 is added to the
<ns0:DocName>Health and Safety Code</ns0:DocName>
, to read:
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<ns0:LawSection id="id_30E5105F-8E65-409C-ABA0-C8F146FA6A93">
<ns0:Num>1569.492.</ns0:Num>
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(a)
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Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, a facility that violates Section 7600.5 of the Probate Code by failing to make a reasonable effort to notify any known next of kin shall be liable for a civil penalty in the amount of two hundred dollars ($200) for each day of the violation, up to fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), measured from the time it would take to make a reasonable effort to notify the next of kin, as determined by the department, until the actual knowledge by the next of kin of the decedent’s death.
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<html:p>
(b)
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The State Department of Social Services may, after notice and an opportunity to be heard, assess the penalty described in subdivision (a).
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<html:p>
(c)
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This
section does not preclude the application of any other existing civil remedies provided by law.
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 3.</ns0:Num>
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Section 7600.5 of the
<ns0:DocName>Probate Code</ns0:DocName>
is amended to read:
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<ns0:LawSection id="id_E4F9F027-BCDE-45B1-B157-4F747840829B">
<ns0:Num>7600.5.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:LawSectionVersion id="id_9D1D417E-6359-403E-A412-38B89333E0E6">
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<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
(1)
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If a person dies in a hospital, convalescent hospital, or board and care facility, the person in charge of the hospital or facility shall make a reasonable attempt to notify any known next of kin that the person died in the facility.
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<html:p>
(2)
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If the body of a person is transferred to a hospital after death, the person in charge of the hospital or
facility shall make a reasonable attempt to notify any known next of kin that the person’s body is being held by the hospital.
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<html:p>
(b)
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If, after the reasonable attempt described in subdivision (a), the person in charge of the hospital, convalescent hospital, or board and care facility cannot locate any next of kin, the person in charge shall give immediate notice of the fact that the person died in the facility or died and is being held by the hospital, as appropriate, to the public administrator of the county in which the hospital or facility is located. If the notice required by this section is not given, the hospital or facility is liable for
both of the following:
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<html:p>
(1)
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Any cost of interment incurred by the estate or the county as a result of the failure.
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(2)
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Any loss to the estate or beneficiaries caused by loss, injury, waste, or misappropriation of property of the decedent as a result of the failure.
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 4.</ns0:Num>
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No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII
<html:span class="ThinSpace"/>
B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII
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B of the California Constitution.
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