SB 329 changes substance-use complaint investigation timing

What happened

California enacted SB 329 on September 27 as Chapter 646. For a complaint within its jurisdiction about a covered licensed alcohol/drug recovery or treatment facility or certified program, DHCS must assign an analyst within ten days after receipt. It must complete the investigation within 120 days after assignment unless, as the department determines, other state-agency assistance or additional resources are needed. For complaints outside its jurisdiction, DHCS must provide written notice, including electronically, to the extent feasible. These statutory periods govern department processing rather than prescribing a new ten-day response deadline for every provider.

DHCS must retain investigation records, including cases unfinished after 120 days. Starting July 1, 2027 and each July 1 thereafter, its website must report the preceding year's investigation totals and types and how many exceeded the completion period. The act authorizes a single licensing or certification fee increase commensurate with reasonable reporting costs; it does not set a new dollar amount or establish that DHCS has imposed it. This reporting milestone and the resource-based completion exception should remain separate from actual case-specific records requests or enforcement outcomes.

Why it matters

Programs need responsive complaint records without inventing new provider filing periods.

Sources

• SB329 enacted final 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