Bill to Add Additional Reports Of Drug, Alcohol Facility Deaths Moves Up In Assembly

A bill to require drug and alcohol program facilities give a subsequent report to the Department of Health Services within 60 days of the death of a resident at the facility with updated information gained traction in the Assembly this week following passage in the Assembly Health Committee last week.

Assembly Bill 1356, authored by Assemblywoman Diane Dixon (R-Newport Beach), would specifically require drug and alcohol program facilities to submit, within 60 days of the initial resident death, any relevant information that was not known at the time of the initial incident or that was known but was not provided to the State Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) in the initial report. The bill would also require, if the department identifies any deficiencies in a facility’s response to a resident’s death in the course of the department’s investigation into the death of a resident in a licensed facility, the facility to submit to the department any follow up actions that the facility took within 60 days of any communication from the department regarding the deficiencies.

Assemblywoman Dixon wrote the bill earlier this year because of facilities not giving all the details of deaths in reports and subsequently not fixing those areas that need improvement and could save lives. AB 1356 is designed to address that issue with a mandatory subsequent report, as well as improve safety at facilities to help ensure that those types of deaths don’t occur again. Last week, Dixon brought forward several victims and experts showing how updated reports could have prevented similar deaths at facilities.

“Many facilities are not providing full details on their report of incidents,” said Assemblywoman Dixon on Thursday. “This common-sense solution to strengthen DHCS’s death investigation is necessary to improve the safety of those residents within the facilities who are receiving treatment. AB 1356 will require a thoughtful review of the incident and its timeline, while also determining the subsequent actions required to prevent such a tragedy.”

Since the introduction of AB 1356 in February, there has been unanimous, bipartisan support behind the bill. As it is little to no cost and can help prevent deaths among people recovering from drug and alcohol abuse, no lawmaker has come forward against it. This was seen last week when AB 1356 passed the Assembly Health Committee in a 16-0 vote. This week, with an Assembly Appropriations Committee vote coming up, AB 1356 has only gained strength with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle supporting the bill. While the bill has been slightly amended since it’s inception, no major alterations have occurred, with the previous amendments simply clarifying AB 1356 as needed.

“John walked into Asana Recovery with one simple goal – to get through withdrawals safely,” added Breana Zweben, who lost her boyfriend in an incident at a facility that was later deemed preventable if a law like AB 1356 had been in place. “The system failed him, and AB 1356 would help prevent such failures from claiming more lives.”

AB 1356 is to be heard next in the Assembly Appropriations Committee later this month, with an Assembly-wide vote to take place after.