AB 2562 requires suicide prevention policies in covered substance-use programs
Oct 11, 2026 edition · GC-2026-0080 · Published 2026-10-11 · Version 3 · Final
AB 2562 adds suicide-prevention planning to California's covered alcohol and drug program requirements. Certified programs must include a plan in their operation manuals, and licensed residential facilities must develop one; DHCS may use interim guidance before the January 2031 regulatory deadline.
What happened
California enacted AB 2562 on September 27 as Chapter 620. The amended certified-program provision adds a suicide prevention plan to the minimum contents of the operation manual, alongside admission and discharge, client rights, services, medications, and conduct policies. A separate amendment to the licensed residential-facility section requires the licensee to develop a suicide prevention plan. The two provisions address related programs through their respective certification and licensing frameworks.
For the residential suicide-prevention requirement, DHCS may issue a bulletin or all-county or all-provider letter after stakeholder input until regulations are promulgated, and must adopt those regulations by January 1, 2031. That date concerns the department's rulemaking, rather than a stated licensee filing deadline or permission to postpone all preparation until then. The surrounding statute retains distinct relapse-planning and overdose safeguards, including naloxone availability and trained on-site staff. Their existing requirements and separate implementation dates should not be conflated with the new suicide-prevention plan.
Scope and timing
- Authority status
- Final
- Applicability
- Potentially applicable
- Audience
- Health systems, Provider networks
- Jurisdiction
- California
- Recorded date
- 2027-01-01
- Date type
- effective
Why it matters
Licensed alcohol or drug recovery and treatment facilities may need a documented suicide-prevention plan and should watch for implementing bulletins or provider letters.
Recommended action
Review applicability, policy content, staff roles and documentation for the licensed or certified program; track DHCS implementation separately.
Sources
- AB-2562 Alcohol or other drug recovery and treatment programs and facilities: suicide prevention, bill historyOfficial · California Legislature · 2026-08-30 · Source review 2026-09-10
- AB-2562 Alcohol or other drug recovery and treatment programs and facilities: suicide prevention, current bill text (09/03/26 - Enrolled)Official · California Legislature · 2026-09-03 · Source review 2026-09-10
- AB2562 chaptered operative textOfficial · California Legislature · 2026-09-27 · Source review 2026-10-11
- California Constitution, Article IV section 8(c), official Assembly 2023–24 editionOfficial · California State Assembly · Source review 2026-10-14
Complete edition and supplemental material
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