Senator Umberg Spearheads Substance Use Disorder Treatment Reform with Senate Bill 913

(Sacramento, CA) – Senator Thomas J. Umberg (D-Santa Ana) announced today that he is introducing legislation to enhance substance use disorder treatment facilities’ accountability and service quality across California. Senator Umberg’s Senate Bill 913 focuses on reinforcing the regulations surrounding the operation of sober living homes and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment facilities.

The United States remains in the grips of an epidemic of substance use with upwards of 130 people dying of overdose and addiction-related complications every day. For several years, Senator Umberg's office has been at the forefront of addressing the challenges that residents and communities face when grappling with the effects of SUDs.  He authored the California Ethical Treatment for Persons with Substance Use Disorder Act (SB 349, 2022) which provided patients and their families with assurances that they are entering into reliable, high quality, and ethical treatment programs and facilities.

With an increasing number of Californians turning to sober living homes and treatment facilities for support, SB 913 aims to build upon SB 349 by adding a key enforcement mechanism.

"Ensuring the efficacy and care of substance use disorder treatment facilities is not solely a matter of regulatory compliance; it's about protecting the well-being of our most vulnerable populations," stated Senator Umberg. He added, "Through SB 913, we are taking a significant step towards eliminating the loopholes that allow for substandard care and unscrupulous practices within sober living and treatment communities."

Southern California’s “Rehab Riviera” is well known to be an area in which a network of rehab facilities exist in a quasi-medical realm where evidence-based care is rare, licensed medical staffers are optional, conflicts of interest are rampant, and regulation is stunningly lax. Senator Umberg's SB 913 directly addresses these pressing issues by adding local enforcement mechanisms to existing regulations regarding “body brokering” or “patient brokering,” —the act of “selling” patients to addiction treatment centers in exchange for financial or other benefits. 

Current law authorizes DHCS to take action against unscrupulous providers by suspending or revoking their facility license, and limits SUD recovery and treatment facilities from offering housing and transportation free of charge as inducements to treatment. SB 913 will enhance these processes by creating a pathway for cities to assist in both oversight and enforcement.

Key provisions of SB 913 include:

• City and county authority to seek approval from the Department of Health Care Services to conduct announced or unannounced site visits to licensed and unlicensed sober living homes to ensure compliance with state regulations.
• Permission for enforcement of existing patient brokering regulations by city attorneys or district attorneys to ensure swift action against violators.

“Cal Cities is proud to sponsor this commonsense legislation that protects residents and holds providers accountable for maintaining high quality treatment,” said League of California Cities Executive Director and CEO Carolyn Coleman. “Licensed recovery homes provide a wide range of benefits to some of California’s most vulnerable residents, and cities are the right partners to help ensure these treatment facilities comply with state regulations. It’s good for the community, good for the neighbors, and most importantly, good for those who are receiving care.”

SB 913 protects California’s vulnerable SUD population and their families by implementing a significant enforcement mechanism by which to hold facilities accountable for their practices. As California continues to address the challenges imposed by substance use disorder, Senator Umberg's introduction of SB 913 marks a critical step forward in ensuring that recovery and treatment facilities operate transparently, ethically, and in the best interest of those they serve.

Senator Umberg concluded, "SB 913 is about more than regulation; it's about respect, recovery, and restoring trust in the systems designed to support our journey towards healing. Together, we can create a safer, more supportive environment for all Californians seeking a path to recovery."

SB 913 will be heard in policy committee(s) in the coming weeks.  Text of the measure can be found here.

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Senator Thomas J. Umberg represents the 34th Senate District, which includes the cities of Anaheim, Buena Park, Fullerton, Garden Grove, La Habra, Long Beach, Orange, Placentia, Santa Ana, and East and South Whittier. Umberg is a retired U.S. Army Colonel, former federal prosecutor, and small businessman. He and his wife, Brigadier General Robin Umberg, USA (ret.), live in Orange County.