(a) Notwithstanding any other law, the State Department of Social Services or its designee shall investigate any threat to the health and safety of children placed by a California county child welfare agency or probation department in an out-of-state residential facility, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 7910, pursuant to the provisions of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children. This authority shall include the authority to interview children or staff in private or review their file at the out-of-state residential facility or wherever the child or files may be at the time of the investigation. Notwithstanding any other law, the State Department of Social Services or its designee shall require certified out-of-state residential facilities to comply with the reporting requirements applicable to short-term residential therapeutic programs licensed in California for each child in care, regardless of whether or not the child is a California placement, by submitting a copy of the required reports to the Compact Administrator within regulatory timeframes. The Compact Administrator, within one business day of receiving a serious incident report from a certified out-of-state residential facility, shall verbally notify any county child welfare agency or probation department with a child placed at the certified out-of-state residential facility of the serious incident report. The Compact Administrator, within five business days of receiving a written serious incident report from a certified out-of-state residential facility, shall forward a copy of the written serious incident report to any county child welfare agency or probation department with a child placed at the certified out-of-state residential facility.

(b) Any contract, memorandum of understanding, or agreement entered into pursuant to paragraph (b) of Article 5 of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children regarding the placement of a child out of state by a California county social services agency or probation department shall include the language set forth in subdivision (a).

(c) Upon receipt of a request from a county child welfare agency or probation department for a child-specific certification of a placement in an out-of-state residential facility, the State Department of Social Services or its designee shall expedite the review of the request in order to determine any additional information needed, shall communicate with the requesting county agency regarding its review including regular status updates, and shall, in a timely manner, determine whether it will issue a child-specific certification to the out-of-state residential facility pursuant to this section.

(1) The licensing standards applicable to an out-of-state residential facility certified by the department shall be those required of short-term residential therapeutic programs operated in this state.

(2) Before issuing a child-specific certification to the out-of-state residential facility, the department shall do all of the following:

(A) Review documentation provided by the county placing agency pursuant to subdivision (e) of § 16010.9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

(B) Perform an on-site inspection of the out-of-state residential facility’s physical site.

(C) At a minimum, review all of the following sections of the out-of-state residential facility’s program statement:

(i) Core Services and Supports.

(ii) Trauma Informed Interventions and Treatment Practices.

(iii) Personal Rights.

(iv) House Rules.

(v) Discipline Policies and Procedures.

(vi) Emergency Intervention Plan (Including Runaway Plan).

(D) Review the out-of-state residential facility’s serious incident reports.

(E) Review the out-of-state residential facility’s current license. In order for the out-of-state residential facility to receive a certification, the out-of-state residential facility shall have a current license, or an equivalent approval, in good standing issued by the appropriate authority or authorities of the state in which it is operating.

(F) Review the out-of-state residential facility’s licensing history, including any substantiated complaints.

(G) Review the documentation provided by the State Department of Health Care Services pursuant to subdivision (d).

(H) Obtain approval from the director of the department of the child-specific certification for the out-of-state residential facility. Director approval may be given after all of the requirements of subparagraphs (A) to (G), inclusive, have been satisfied.

(3) The department shall not issue a child-specific certification to the out-of-state residential facility if the out-of-state residential facility fails to cooperate during the certification process, including failing to provide any of the documentation listed in paragraph (2).

(4) If all the requirements of paragraph (2) have been satisfied, the department shall certify the out-of-state residential facility pursuant to this section. The department shall provide written documentation of this certification to the county placing agency.

(5) The child-specific certification is discontinued, effective immediately, upon the child transitioning out of the out-of-state residential facility’s program.

(d) The licensing standards applicable to out-of-state residential facilities certified by the department, as described in subdivision (c), shall include the licensing standards for mental health program approval described in § 1562.01 of the Health and Safety Code. These standards shall be satisfied if the State Department of Health Care Services determines that the out-of-state residential facility has an equivalent mental health program approval in the state in which it is operating. Upon receipt of a request for the State Department of Health Care Services to determine whether an out-of-state residential facility has an equivalent mental health program approval in the state in which it is operation, the State Department of Health Care Services shall expedite the review of the request in order to determine any additional information needed, shall communicate with the requesting county agency regarding its review including regular status updates, and shall, in a timely manner, make its determination. If an out-of-state residential facility cannot satisfy the licensing standards for an equivalent mental health program approval, the department shall not certify the facility.

(e) Failure by an out-of-state residential facility to make children or staff available as required by subdivision (a) for a private interview or make files available for review shall be grounds to deny or discontinue the certification.

(f) Certifications made pursuant to this section shall be reviewed as often as necessary to ensure the health and safety of children in care. At a minimum, certifications made pursuant to this section shall be reviewed semiannually. The department shall complete a full review of the facility’s program statement semiannually.

(g) (1) The department may deny or discontinue the certification of the out-of-state residential facility if the department makes a finding that the out-of-state residential facility is not operating in compliance with the requirements of this section. The department shall engage with counties that have one or more youth at a facility proposed for decertification to allow for a transition to occur, to the extent possible while ensuring the youths’ safety and well-being.

(2) If the out-of-state residential facility disagrees with any decision by the department to deny or discontinue the certification, the out-of-state residential facility may appeal the decision immediately upon receipt of the notice of decertification. If the out-of-state residential facility decides to appeal the decision, the appeal shall be submitted to the department not later than 30 calendar days after the out-of-state residential facility receives the decision. The out-of-state residential facility’s appeal shall be in writing and include all information, including supporting documents, that forms the basis of the appeal. The department shall issue a final determination not later than 30 calendar days after receipt of the appeal. If the out-of-state residential facility disagrees with the department’s determination, the out-of-state residential facility may file a writ pursuant to paragraph (3). If the out-of-state residential facility decides to file a writ, the writ shall be filed not later than 30 calendar days after the out-of-state residential facility receives the final determination.

(3) Any judicial proceeding to contest the department’s determination as to the status of the out-of-state residential facility’s certificate shall be held in California pursuant to § 1085 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

(h) The certification requirements of this section shall not impact any of the following:

(1) Placement of emotionally disturbed children made pursuant to an individualized education program developed pursuant to the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq.) if the placement is not funded with federal or state foster care funds.

(2) Placement of Indian children, as defined by the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. § 1901 et. seq.) and § 224.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

(i) Failure by an out-of-state residential facility to obtain or maintain its certification, as required by this section, shall preclude the use of any public funds, whether county, state, or federal, in the payment for the placement of any child in that out-of-state residential facility pursuant to the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children.

(j) Notwithstanding the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code), the State Department of Social Services and the State Department of Health Care Services may implement, interpret, or make specific this section by means of all-county letters, written directives, interim licensing standards, or similar written instructions from the department until regulations are adopted. These all-county letters, written directives, interim licensing standards, or similar written instructions shall have the same force and effect as regulations until the adoption of regulations.

(Repealed and added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 86, Sec. 8. (AB 153) Effective July 16, 2021.)