Bill to require rehabs to report deaths moves forward

A bill that would require drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities to report their residents’ deaths has passed both houses of the state Legislature and faces Gov. Jerry Brown for final approval.

Assembly Bill 2374, introduced by Assemblyman Allan Mansoor (R-Costa Mesa), would require that any resident deaths be called in within one working day, followed by a report, to state authorities. The law was drafted in response to a state report, “Rogue Rehabs,” published in 2012.

The report was critical of California’s oversight of rehabilitation centers.

“There have been a lot of problems with how rehab homes operate, and this bill is a first step toward increased accountability,” Mansoor, who is running for a seat on the Orange County Board of Supervisors, said in a news release.

—Bradley Zint

Twitter: @bradleyzint