20250AB__025195CHP INTRODUCED 2025-01-15 AMENDED_ASSEMBLY 2025-03-19 AMENDED_SENATE 2025-06-23 PASSED_ASSEMBLY 2025-09-08 PASSED_SENATE 2025-09-04 ENROLLED 2025-09-10 CHAPTERED 2025-10-07 APPROVED 2025-10-07 FILED 2025-10-07 2025 AB CHP CHP 0 Introduced by Assembly Member Kalra LEAD_AUTHOR ASSEMBLY Kalra

An act to amend

Section of, and to add

Section 15657.02 to, the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to elders and dependent adults. elders and dependent adults Elders and dependent adults: abuse or neglect. Existing law, the Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act, provides for the award of attorney’s fees and costs to, and the recovery of damages by, a plaintiff when it is proven by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant is liable for physical abuse or neglect, and the defendant has also been found guilty of recklessness, oppression, fraud, or malice in the commission of that abuse.

This bill would authorize a court to apply a preponderance of the evidence standard to any claim brought against a residential care facility for the elderly, an adult community care facility, or a skilled nursing facility, except as specified, for remedies sought pursuant to the above provisions, upon circumstances in which spoliation of evidence, as defined, has been committed by the defendant, as specified.

The bill would make this provision inoperative if there is a final judicial determination in any action by any party, or a final determination by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, that the state is required by state or federal law or regulation to provide reimbursement under the Medi-Cal program to those facilities for costs associated with this bill and the Legislature does not appropriate sufficient funds to pay for those costs. The bill would make conforming changes to a related provision. MAJORITY NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read: 15657. If it is proven by clear and convincing evidence, or by a preponderance of the evidence pursuant to

Section 15657.02, that a defendant is liable for physical abuse as defined in

Section 15610.63, neglect as defined in

Section 15610.57, or abandonment as defined in

Section 15610.05, and that the defendant has been guilty of recklessness, oppression, fraud, or malice in the commission of this abuse, the following shall apply, in addition to all other remedies otherwise provided by law: (

a) The court shall award to the plaintiff reasonable attorney’s fees and costs. The term “costs” includes, but is not limited to, reasonable fees for the services of a conservator, if any, devoted to the litigation of a claim brought under this article. (

b) The limitations imposed by

Section 377.34 of the Code of Civil Procedure on the damages recoverable shall not apply. However, the damages recovered shall not exceed the damages permitted to be recovered pursuant to subdivision (

b) of

Section 3333.2 of the Civil Code. (

c) The standards set forth in subdivision (

b) of

Section of the Civil Code regarding the imposition of punitive damages on an employer based upon the acts of an employee shall be satisfied before any damages or attorney’s fees permitted under this

section may be imposed against an employer.

SEC.

Section 15657.02 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code , to read: 15657.02. (a)

(1) Notwithstanding any other law, the court may determine the standard of evidence in any claim for remedies sought under

Section to be a preponderance of the evidence under either of the following circumstances: (

A) The plaintiff prevails on a discovery motion pursuant to subdivision (

b) of

Section 2023.030 of the Code of Civil Procedure due to spoliation of evidence by the defendant. (

B) A judge or arbitrator determines at any point during litigation or arbitration that spoliation of evidence has been committed by the defendant.

(2) The court shall issue its findings under this subdivision in writing. (b)

(1) This

section applies only to claims brought against a residential care facility licensed pursuant to the California Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly Act (Chapter 3.2 (commencing with

Section 1569) of Division of the Health and Safety Code), an adult community care facility licensed pursuant to the California Community Care Facilities Act (Chapter 3 (commencing with

Section 1500) of Division of the Health and Safety Code), or a skilled nursing facility as defined in subdivision (

c) of

Section of the Health and Safety Code, except as otherwise provided in paragraph (2).

(2) This

section does not apply to either of the following: (

A) A facility owned or operated by a general acute care hospital, as defined in subdivision (

a) of, an acute psychiatric hospital, as defined in subdivision (

b) of, or a special hospital, as defined in subdivision (

f) of,

Section of, and licensed pursuant to

Chapter 2 (commencing with

Section 1250) of Division of, the Health and Safety Code. (

B) A facility that holds a valid license issued pursuant to subdivision (

b) or (

c) of

Section of the Health and Safety Code. (c)

(1) For purposes of this section, “spoliation of evidence” means the intentional improper alteration of evidence or the intentional concealment or destruction of records, documents, or other evidence that is done by a party, with the intent of preventing the evidence from being produced, and that has materially prejudiced the other party.

(2) In determining whether spoliation of evidence has occurred, a judge shall consider whether records, documents, or other evidence is intentionally destroyed in any of the following manners: (

A) Prior to the expiration of a legally required time period for holding the records, documents, or other evidence. (

B) In contravention of the party’s written records retention policy. (

C) After receipt of a written directive to preserve relevant records, documents, or other evidence. (

d) For purposes of this section, the records, documents, or other evidence that is the subject of the spoliation shall be material to the claim brought under this

article and specifically required to be maintained or preserved by the defendant. (

e) This

section does not modify the standard of evidence for cases brought under

Section 15657.03. (

f) The remedy provided in this

section is cumulative with any other remedy available by law. (

g) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that facilities described in subdivision (

b) have an existing duty to refrain from committing spoliation of evidence in actions brought pursuant to

Section and, therefore, this

section does not impose a new requirement on those facilities that is reimbursable pursuant to

Article 3.8 (commencing with

Section 14126), any other law or regulation governing Medi-Cal ratesetting, or the California Medicaid State Plan. (

h) If there is a final judicial determination in any action by any party, or a final determination by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, that the state is required by state or federal law or regulation to provide reimbursement under the Medi-Cal program to the health care facilities described in subdivision (

b) for costs associated with this section, and the Legislature does not appropriate sufficient funds to pay for those costs, this

section shall become inoperative.