(a)

(1) The Skilled Nursing Facility Minimum Staffing Penalty Account is hereby established in the State Treasury. The account shall contain all moneys deposited pursuant to subdivision (b).

(2) Notwithstanding

Section of the Government Code or any other law, the Skilled Nursing Facility Minimum Staffing Penalty Account is hereby continuously appropriated, without regard to fiscal years, to the State Department of Public Health to support the implementation of this section. (b)

(1) The State Department of Public Health shall use the direct care staffing level data it collects to determine whether a skilled nursing facility has met the nursing hours or direct care service hours per patient per day requirements pursuant to

Section 1276.5 or 1276.65, as applicable. (2) (

A) The State Department of Public Health shall assess a skilled nursing facility, licensed pursuant to subdivision (

c) of

Section 1250, an administrative penalty if the State Department of Public Health determines that the skilled nursing facility fails to meet the nursing hours or direct care service hours per patient per day requirements pursuant to

Section 1276.5 or 1276.65, as applicable, as follows: (

i) Twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) if the facility fails to meet the requirements for percent or more of the audited days up to percent. (ii) Fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) if the facility fails to meet the requirements for over percent or more of the audited days. (B) (

i) If the skilled nursing facility does not dispute the determination or assessment, the penalties shall be paid in full by the licensee to the State Department of Public Health within days of the facility’s receipt of the notice of penalty and deposited into the Skilled Nursing Facility Minimum Staffing Penalty Account. (ii) The State Department of Public Health may, upon written notification to the licensee, request that the State Department of Health Care Services offset any moneys owed to the licensee by the Medi-Cal program or any other payment program administered by the State Department of Health Care Services to recoup the penalty provided for in this section. (C) (

i) If a facility disputes the determination or assessment made pursuant to this paragraph, the facility shall, within days of the facility’s receipt of the determination and assessment, simultaneously submit a request for appeal to both the State Department of Health Care Services and the State Department of Public Health. A request for an appeal may be made by a facility based upon a determination that does not result in an assessment.

The request shall include a detailed statement describing the reason for appeal and include all supporting documents the facility will present at the hearing. (ii) Within days of the State Department of Public Health’s receipt of the facility’s request for appeal, the State Department of Public Health shall submit, to both the facility and the State Department of Health Care Services, its responsive arguments and all supporting documents that the State Department of Public Health will present at the hearing. (

D) The State Department of Health Care Services shall hear a timely appeal and issue a decision as follows: (

i) The hearing shall commence within days from the date of receipt by the State Department of Health Care Services of the facility’s timely request for appeal. (ii) The State Department of Health Care Services shall issue a decision within days from the date of receipt by the State Department of Health Care Services of the facility’s timely request for appeal. (iii) The decision of the State Department of Health Care Services’ hearing officer, when issued, shall be the final decision of the State Department of Public Health. (

E) The appeals process set forth in this paragraph shall be exempt from

Chapter 4.5 (commencing with

Section 11400), and

Chapter 5 (commencing with

Section 11500), of Part of Division of Title of the Government Code. The provisions of Sections and do not apply to appeals under this paragraph. (

F) If a hearing decision issued pursuant to subparagraph (

D) is in favor of the State Department of Public Health, the skilled nursing facility shall pay the penalties to the State Department of Public Health within days of the facility’s receipt of the decision. The penalties collected shall be deposited into the Skilled Nursing Facility Minimum Staffing Penalty Account. (

c) The assessment of a penalty under this

section shall not prohibit any state or federal enforcement action, including, but not limited to, State Department of Public Health’s investigation process or issuance of deficiencies or citations under

Chapter 2.4 (commencing with

Section 1417). (

d) Notwithstanding

Chapter 3.5 (commencing with

Section 11340) of Part of Division of Title of the Government Code, the State Department of Public Health may implement this

section by means of all-facility letters or other similar instructions without taking regulatory action. (

e) In implementing this section, the State Department of Public Health may contract, as necessary, with California’s Medicare Quality Improvement Organization, or other entities deemed qualified by the State Department of Public Health, not associated with a skilled nursing facility. The department may enter into exclusive or nonexclusive contracts, or amend existing contracts, on a bid or negotiated basis for purposes of implementing this subdivision. Contracts entered into or amended pursuant to this subdivision shall be exempt from

Chapter 6 (commencing with

Section 14825) of

Part 5.5 of Division of Title of the Government Code,

Part 2 (commencing with

Section 10100) of Division of the Public Contract Code, the State Administrative Manual, and the State Contracting Manual, and shall be exempt from the review or approval of any division of the State Department of General Services. (

f) Notwithstanding any other law, the State Controller may use the funds in the Skilled Nursing Facility Minimum Staffing Penalty Account for cash flow loans to the General Fund as provided in Sections and of the Government Code.