California Assembly Bill AB2562

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/20/26
• Refer: 3/16/26
• Report Pass: 3/16/26
• Refer: 3/17/26
• Report Pass: 4/15/26
• Refer: 4/15/26

Caption

An act to amend Section 11834.38 Sections 11832.8 and 11834.26 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to public health.

Summary

AB 2562 updates California’s alcohol and other drug recovery and treatment facility rules to add suicide prevention planning requirements. For certified alcohol or other drug programs, the bill requires that policies and procedures kept in the operation manual include a suicide prevention plan. For licensed residential nonmedical facilities, the bill requires the licensee to develop a suicide prevention plan, with the Department of Health Care Services authorized to issue interim guidance by bulletin or all-county/all-provider letter after stakeholder input until formal regulations are adopted. The bill also makes a technical, nonsubstantive change to the license reinstatement provision for suspended facilities. In addition, the measure leaves in place and restates related existing requirements governing admission, relapse planning, naloxone availability, and staff training, while tying the new suicide-prevention requirement to the department’s regulatory process and setting a deadline of January 1, 2031, for regulations implementing that requirement.

Impact

AB 2562 would amend Health and Safety Code sections governing alcohol and other drug recovery/treatment programs and licensed facilities, adding suicide prevention planning to required policies, procedures, and operation manuals. It would affect licensed residential nonmedical facilities and certified programs regulated by the Department of Health Care Services, requiring them to formalize suicide prevention protocols and comply with future department regulations or interim guidance. The bill does not create a new appropriation or local program mandate, but it does impose additional compliance obligations on regulated providers.

Sentiment

The available voting history indicates broad support and little opposition. The bill passed committee unanimously, with an 11-0 vote in one committee action and a later 16-0 vote to do pass and re-refer to Appropriations with a recommendation for the consent calendar. No committee transcript or recorded debate was provided, so there is no evidence of significant public disagreement in the materials supplied. Overall, the sentiment appears favorable and noncontroversial.

Contention

No major contention is reflected in the provided record. The only potentially notable implementation issue is the bill’s reliance on the Department of Health Care Services to issue interim guidance and later adopt regulations, which may raise questions for providers about timing, compliance details, and how suicide prevention plans should be tailored in practice. Otherwise, the measure appears to have been treated as a straightforward public-health and facility-standards update, with unanimous committee support suggesting limited opposition.