Existing law establishes the Community Care Expansion Program, under the administration of the State Department of Social Services. Under the program, subject to appropriation by the Legislature, the department awards grants to qualified grantees to administer projects for the acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation of property to be operated as residential adult and senior care facilities, or to promote the sustainability of existing licensed residential adult and senior care facilities through the provision of capitalized operating subsidy reserves. Existing law authorizes the department to enter into an agreement with one or more entities to facilitate the grant awards. Existing law requires the contracting entity to act as a third-party administrator to provide operational services under the contract, including, but not limited to, developing an online application portal and processing invoices and making grant payments.
This bill would revise and recast the department's authorization to enter into an agreement with one or more entities to facilitate the grant application, awards, and implementation and require the department to be responsible for selected operational services previously done by a third-party administrator. If the grant is awarded to a tribe, the bill would require the department to administer the contract and award process directly with the tribal applicant and require the existing tribal liaison to be included throughout the grant process to ensure tribal sovereignty is honored. The bill would also require that an agreement between the department and a tribe align with federal tribal housing grant agreements.
Existing law requires, subject to an appropriation, the department to award grants to preserve or expand the capacity of residential adult and senior care facilities through the acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation of property and requires counties and tribes receiving funds for this purpose to provide matching funds or real property.
This bill would exempt a tribe from providing real property if federal restrictions limit tribal property ownership.

Statutes affected:
SB1322: 50651.1 HSC, 50651.1 HSC, 11019.81 GOV
02/20/26 - Introduced: 11019.81 GOV
03/25/26 - Amended Senate: 50651.1 HSC, 50651.1 HSC, 11019.81 GOV
06/11/26 - Amended Assembly: 18999.97 WIC, 18999.97 WIC, 50651.1 HSC
SB 1322: 11019.81 GOV