Chapter 1. The Department Of Corrections And Rehabilitation of California Penal Code >> Title 7. >> Part 3. >> Chapter 1.

Commencing July 1, 2005, any reference to the Department of Corrections in this or any other code refers to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Division of Adult Operations. Nothing in the act enacted by Senate Bill 737 of the 2005-06 Regular Session shall be construed to alter the primary objective of adult incarceration under the reorganized Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, which remains public safety as articulated in the legislative findings and declarations set forth in Section 1170.

The Governor may request the State Personnel Board to use extensive recruitment and merit selection techniques and procedures to provide lists of persons qualified for appointment pursuant to Article 14 (commencing with Section 12838) of Chapter 1 of Part 2.5 of Division 3 of the Government Code. The Governor may appoint any person from the lists of qualified persons or may reject all names and appoint other persons who meet the requirements of the positions.

(a) The department shall succeed to and is hereby vested with all of the powers and duties exercised and performed by the following departments, boards, bureaus, commissions, and officers when such powers and duties are not otherwise vested by law:
  (1) The Department of Penology.
  (2) The State Board of Prison Directors.
  (3) The Bureau of Paroles.
  (4) The warden and the clerk of the California State Prison at San Quentin.
  (5) The warden and the clerk of the California State Prison at Folsom.
  (6) The warden of and the clerk of the California Institution for Men.
  (7) The California Crime Commission.
  (b) Whenever any designation of any of the departments, boards, bureaus, commissions, or officers mentioned in subdivision (a) is contained in any provision of law and this designation is expressly made to refer to the Department of Corrections, the Board of Corrections or the Board of Prison Terms, then the Department of Corrections, the Board of Corrections or the Board of Prison Terms, to whichever one the designation is made to refer, shall exercise the power or perform the duty heretofore exercised or performed by the particular departments, boards, bureaus, or officers mentioned in subdivision (a).
  (c) The powers and duties of the State Board of Prison Directors and of the clerks of the state prisons and the California Institution for Men are transferred to and shall be exercised and performed by the Department of Corrections, except as may be otherwise expressly provided by law.
  (d) The powers and duties of wardens of the state prisons and the California Institution for Men, presently or hereafter, expressly vested by law in them shall be exercised by them but such exercise shall be subject to the supervision and control of the Director of Corrections. All powers and duties not expressly vested in the wardens are transferred to and shall be exercised and performed by the Department of Corrections. When the designation of warden is expressly made to refer to the Department of Corrections, the department shall exercise the power and perform the duty heretofore exercised or performed by the warden.
  (e) The Board of Prison Terms shall succeed to and is hereby vested with all of the powers and duties exercised and performed by the following boards when such powers and duties are not otherwise vested by law:
  (1) The Board of Prison Terms and Paroles.
  (2) The Advisory Pardon Board.
  (3) The Adult Authority.
  (4) The Women's Board of Terms and Paroles.
  (5) The Community Release Board.

The department has jurisdiction over the following prisons and institutions:
  (a) The California State Prison at San Quentin.
  (b) The California State Prison at Folsom.
  (c) The California Institution for Men.
  (d) The California Institution for Women.
  (e) The Deuel Vocational Institution.
  (f) The California Medical Facility.
  (g) The Correctional Training Facility.
  (h) The California Men's Colony.
  (i) The California Correctional Institution at Tehachapi.
  (j) The California Rehabilitation Center.
  (k) The California Correctional Center at Susanville.
  (l) The Sierra Correctional Center.
  (m) The Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility at Rock Mountain.
  (n) Mule Creek State Prison.
  (o) Northern California Women's Facility.
  (p) Pelican Bay State Prison.
  (q) Avenal State Prison.
  (r) California State Prison--King's County at Corcoran.
  (s) Chuckawalla Valley State Prison.
  (t) Those other institutions and prison facilities as the Department of Corrections or the Director of Corrections may be authorized by law to establish, including, but not limited to, prisons in Madera, Kern, Imperial, and Los Angeles Counties.

(a) The Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, or his or her designee, shall provide written notification to any county impacted by the opening, closing, or changing of location of any reception center that accepts prisoners from county facilities, or by the opening, closing, or changing of the location of a parole office. Written notification of these changes shall also be provided to the California State Association of Counties, the California State Sheriffs' Association, and the Chief Probation Officers of California at least 90 days prior to the proposed change.
  (b) The notification requirement in this section shall not apply to the opening, closing, or changing of location of a facility due to an emergency created by a riot, quarantine, or natural disaster.

The Board of Parole Hearings is empowered to advise and recommend to the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation on general and specific policies and procedures relating to the duties and functions of the secretary. The secretary is empowered to advise and recommend to the board on matters of general and specific policies and procedures, relating to the duties and functions of the board. The secretary and the board shall meet for purposes of exchange of information and advice.

The Director of Corrections and the legislative body of any county or city may enter into agreements for mutual police aid. Pursuant to such agreements the director may authorize employees of state prisons and institutions to cooperate, anywhere within the State, with county and city peace officers in connection with any existing emergency. While so employed the employees shall have all the benefits of workmen's compensation laws, retirement laws, and all other similar laws and for such purposes shall be deemed to be performing services in the course of their regular official duties.

The director shall require each state prison under the department's jurisdiction to develop a Mutual Aid Escape Pursuit Plan and Agreement with local law enforcement agencies. The plan, together with any supporting information, shall be submitted for annual review to the city council of the city containing or nearest to the institution and to the county board of supervisors of the county containing the prison. Nothing in this section shall require the department to disclose any information which may threaten the security of an institution or the safety of the surrounding community.

(a) The department shall establish a statewide policy on operational procedures for the handling of threats made by inmates or wards, and threats made by family members of inmates or wards, against department staff. The policy shall include methods to ensure that department staff members are advised of threats made against them by inmates, wards, or family members of inmates or wards, and shall require that all threats against department staff made by inmates, wards, or family members of inmates or wards are thoroughly investigated. A copy of the statewide policy shall be accessible to members of the public upon request.
  (b) This section does not prohibit an individual institution within the department from developing a more detailed notification procedure for advising staff members of threats made against them. If an individual institution has a more detailed policy, the policy shall be accessible to every member of the staff of the institution.
  (c) The department shall provide training on the policy developed pursuant to this section as part of its existing training programs.
  (d) The policy developed pursuant to this section shall be fully implemented by July 1, 2016.

The department may maintain a canteen at any prison or institution under its jurisdiction for the sale to persons confined therein of toilet articles, candy, notions, and other sundries, and may provide the necessary facilities, equipment, personnel, and merchandise for the canteen. The director shall specify what commodities shall be sold in the canteen. The sale prices of the articles offered for sale shall be fixed by the director at the amounts that will, as far as possible, render each canteen self-supporting. The department may undertake to insure against damage or loss of canteen and handicraft materials, supplies and equipment owned by the Inmate Welfare Fund of the Department of Corrections as provided in Section 5006. The canteen operations at any prison or institution referred to in this section shall be audited biennially by the Department of Finance, and at the end of each intervening fiscal year, each prison or institution shall prepare a statement of operations. At least one copy of any audit report or statement of operations shall be posted at the canteen and at least one copy shall be available to inmates at the library of each prison or institution.

(a) (1) All moneys now held for the benefit of inmates currently housed in Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation facilities including those known as the Inmate Canteen Fund of the California Institution for Men; the Inmate Welfare Fund of the California Institution for Women; the Trust Contingent Fund of the California State Prison at Folsom; the S.P.L. Commissary, Canteen Account, Hobby Association, Camp Account, Library Fund, News Agency of the California State Prison at San Quentin, the Prisoners' Fund; and the Prisoners' Employment Fund, shall be deposited in the Inmate Welfare Fund of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, in the State Treasury, which is hereby created. The money in the fund shall be used solely for the benefit and welfare of inmates of prisons and institutions under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, including the following:
  (A) The establishment, maintenance, employment of personnel for, and purchase of items for sale to inmates at canteens maintained at the state institutions.
  (B) The establishment, maintenance, employment of personnel, and necessary expenses in connection with the operation of the hobby shops at institutions under the jurisdiction of the department.
  (C) Educational programs, hobby and recreational programs, which may include physical education activities and hobby craft classes, inmate family visiting services, leisure-time activities, and assistance with obtaining photo identification from the Department of Motor Vehicles.
  (D) Funding for innovative programming by not-for-profit organizations offering programs that have demonstrated success and focus on offender responsibility and restorative justice principles. All funding used for this purpose shall go directly to the not-for-profit organizations and shall not be used for department staff or administration of the programming.
  (2) The warden of each institution, in collaboration with at least two representatives from local or state advocacy groups for inmates and two members of either the men's or women's advisory council or similar group within each institution, shall meet at least biannually to determine how the money in the fund shall be used to benefit the inmates of the respective institution. It is the intent of the Legislature that the funds only be expended on services other than those that the department is required to provide to inmates.
  (b) There shall be deposited in the Inmate Welfare Fund all net proceeds from the operation of canteens and hobby shops and any moneys that may be assigned to the state prison by prisoners for deposit in the fund. The moneys in the fund shall constitute a trust held by the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for the benefit and welfare, as herein defined, of all of the inmates of institutions and prisons under the jurisdiction of the department.
  (c) The Department of Finance shall conduct a biennial audit of the Inmate Welfare Fund to include an audit report which shall summarize expenditures from the fund by major categories. At the end of each intervening fiscal year, a statement of operations shall be prepared that shall contain the same information as would be provided in the biennial audit. At least one copy of any statement of operations or audit report shall be placed in each library maintained by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and shall be available there to any inmate.

(a) Notwithstanding any provision in Section 5006, money in the Inmate Welfare Fund shall not be expended to pay charges for any or all of the following purposes:
  (1) Overtime for staff coverage of special events.
  (2) Television repair.
  (3) Original complement of television sets and replacement of television equipment.
  (b) The department shall pay these charges out of any money appropriated for these purposes.

The Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation may invest money in the Inmate Welfare Fund that in his or her opinion is not necessary for immediate use, with the approval of the Department of Finance, and interest earned and other increment derived from investments made pursuant to this section shall be paid into the Inmate Welfare Fund of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

(a) The Director of Corrections is authorized to charge a fee in the amount of five dollars ($5) for each inmate-initiated medical visit of an inmate confined in the state prison.
  (b) The fee shall be charged to the prison account of the inmate. If the inmate has no money in his or her personal account, there shall be no charge for the medical visit.
  (c) An inmate shall not be denied medical care because of a lack of funds in his or her prison account.
  (d) The medical provider may waive the fee for any inmate-initiated treatment and shall waive the fee in any life-threatening or emergency situation, defined as those health services required for alleviation of severe pain or for immediate diagnosis and treatment of unforeseen medical conditions that if not immediately diagnosed and treated could lead to disability or death.
  (e) Followup medical visits at the direction of the medical staff shall not be charged to the inmate.
  (f) All moneys received by the Director of Corrections pursuant to this section shall, upon appropriation by the Legislature, be expended to reimburse the Department of Corrections for direct provision of inmate health care services.

The Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation shall deposit any funds of inmates in his or her possession in trust with the Treasurer pursuant to Section 16305.3 of the Government Code. However, the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, shall deposit those funds of inmates in interest-bearing bank accounts or invest or reinvest the funds in any of the securities that are described in Article 1 (commencing with Section 16430) of Chapter 3 of Part 2 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code and for the purposes of deposit or investment only may mingle the funds of any inmate with the funds of other inmates. Any interest or increment accruing on those funds, less expenses incurred in the investment, shall be deposited in individual inmate or parolee trust accounts on a proportional basis depending upon the amount of funds each individual inmate or parolee account has on deposit.

Subject to the availability of adequate state funding for these purposes, the Director of Corrections shall provide all inmates at each penal institution and prison facility under the jurisdiction of the department with information about behavior that places a person at high risk for contracting the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and about the prevention of transmission of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). The director shall provide all inmates, who are within one month of release or being placed on parole, with information about agencies and facilities that provide testing, counseling, medical, and support services for AIDS victims. Information about AIDS prevention shall be solicited by the director from the State Department of Health Services, the county health officer, or local agencies providing services to persons with AIDS. The Director of Health Services, or his or her designee, shall approve protocols pertaining to the information to be disseminated under this section.

(a) During the intake medical examination or intake health screening, or while providing general information during intake, the department shall provide all inmates with information on hepatitis C, including, but not limited to, methods of hepatitis C transmission and prevention, and information on opportunities for screening and treatment while incarcerated. This subdivision shall be implemented only to the extent that brochures, other printed information, or other media is provided at no charge to the department by public health agencies or any other organization promoting hepatitis C education.
  (b) The department shall also provide hepatitis C screening to all inmates who request it, and offer it to inmates that have a history of intravenous drug use or other risk factors for hepatitis C. This testing shall be confidential. The medical copayment authorized in Section 5007.5 shall not be charged for hepatitis C testing, treatment, or any followup testing.

(a) It is the intention of the Legislature that all prisoners shall be afforded reasonable opportunities to exercise religious freedom.
  (b) (1) Except in extraordinary circumstances, upon the transfer of an inmate to another state prison institution, any member of the clergy or spiritual adviser who has been previously authorized by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to visit that inmate shall be granted visitation privileges at the institution to which the inmate is transferred within 72 hours of the transfer.
  (2) Visitations by members of the clergy or spiritual advisers shall be subject to the same rules, regulations, and policies relating to general visitations applicable at the institution to which the inmate is transferred.
  (3) A departmental or volunteer chaplain who has ministered to or advised an inmate incarcerated in state prison may, voluntarily and without compensation, continue to minister to or advise the inmate while he or she is on parole, provided that the departmental or volunteer chaplain so notifies the warden and the parolee's parole agent in writing.
  (c) Nothing in this section limits the department's ability to prohibit a departmental chaplain from ministering to a parolee, or to exclude a volunteer chaplain from department facilities, if either is found to be in violation of any law or regulation and that violation would ordinarily be grounds for adverse action or denial of access to a facility or person under the department's custody.

(a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the predominant purpose of exercise in correctional facilities should be for the maintenance of the general health and welfare of inmates and that exercise equipment and programs in correctional facilities should be consistent with this purpose. The Legislature further finds and declares that in some cases it may be beneficial to provide access to weights for therapeutic or rehabilitative reasons under a doctor's order or for certain vocational activities such as firefighting.
  (b) It is the intent of the Legislature that both the Department of Corrections and the Department of the Youth Authority eliminate or restrict access to weights and weight lifting equipment where it is determined that the particular type of equipment involved or the particular prison population or inmate involved poses a safety concern both in the correctional facility and to the public upon release. In those instances where inmates are allowed access to weights and weight lifting equipment, access shall be a privilege. As a condition of inmate access to weights and weight lifting equipment, the departments may require inmates to participate in training in the proper use of weights and weight lifting equipment that emphasizes departmental rules and safety practices that must be observed when using weights and weight lifting equipment. The directors of the departments, or their respective designees, may restrict individual or group access to weights and weight lifting equipment as deemed necessary for the orderly operation of the correctional facility.
  (c) On or before July 1, 1995, both the Department of Corrections and the Department of the Youth Authority shall adopt regulations governing inmate access to weight lifting and weight training equipment in state prison and California Youth Authority facilities, respectively. In developing these regulations, the departments shall consider each of the following:
  (1) Some prisoners may utilize weight equipment to develop strength and increase body mass and size rather than for the maintenance of general health. This use of weight equipment may create a risk of harm to other inmates, correctional officers, and staff and, upon release, to law enforcement officers and the general public.
  (2) The improper use of weights and weight lifting equipment may result in injuries that require costly medical attention.
  (3) Access to weights and weight lifting equipment by inmates may result in the use of the equipment by inmates to attack other inmates or correctional officers.

(a) The Department of Corrections shall not require, as a condition for any form of treatment or custody that the department offers, an admission of guilt to any crime for which an inmate was committed to the custody of the department.
  (b) The Board of Prison Terms shall not require, when setting parole dates, an admission of guilt to any crime for which an inmate was committed.

(a) Any death that occurs in any facility operated by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the State Department of State Hospitals, a city, county, or city and county, including county juvenile facilities, or any facility which is under contract with any of these entities for the incarceration, rehabilitation, holding, or treatment of persons accused or convicted of crimes, shall be reported within a reasonable time, not to exceed two hours, of its discovery by authorities in the facility to the county sheriff, or his or her designated representative, and to the coroner' s office, of the county in which the facility is located, as provided in Section 27491 of the Government Code. These deaths shall also be reported to the district attorney, or his or her designated representative, of the county in which the facility is located as soon as a representative of the district attorney's office is on duty. If the facility is located within the city limits of an incorporated city, the report shall also be made to the chief of police in that city, or to his or her designated representative, within a reasonable time, not to exceed two hours, of its discovery. Any death of a person in a facility operated by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation shall also be reported to the Chief of Medical Services in the Central Office of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, or his or her designated representative, as soon as a representative of that office is on duty.
  (b) The initial report of the death of a person required in subdivision (a) may be transmitted by telephone, direct contact, or by written notification, and shall outline all pertinent facts known at the time the report is made and all persons to contact, in addition to any other information the reporting person or officer deems pertinent.
  (c) The initial report of the death of a person as required in subdivision (a) shall be supplemented by a written report, which shall be submitted to the entities listed in subdivision (a) within eight hours of the discovery of the death. This written report shall include all circumstances and details of the death that were known at the time the report was prepared, and shall include the names of all persons involved in the death, and all persons with knowledge of the circumstances surrounding the death.

(a) Upon the entry of a prisoner into a facility operated by the Department of Corrections, and at least every year thereafter, the Director of Corrections shall obtain from the prisoner the name and last known address and telephone number of any person or persons who shall be notified in the event of the prisoner's death or serious illness or serious injury, as determined by the physician in attendance, and who are authorized to receive his or her body. The persons shall be noted in the order of the prisoner's preference. The Director of Corrections shall provide the prisoner with the opportunity to modify or amend his or her notification list at any time.
  (b) The Director of Corrections shall use all reasonable means to contact the person or persons set forth in the notification list upon the death or serious illness or serious injury, as determined by the physician in attendance, of the prisoner while confined in a facility operated by the Department of Corrections.

(a) It is the intent of the Legislature that the Department of Corrections operate in the most cost-effective and efficient manner possible when purchasing health care services for inmates. To achieve this goal, it is desirable that the department have the benefit and experience of the California Medical Assistance Commission in planning and negotiating for the purchase of health care services.
  (b) The Department of Corrections shall consult with the commission to assist the department in planning and negotiating contracts for the purchase of health care services. The commission shall advise the department, and may negotiate directly with providers on behalf of the department, as mutually agreed upon by the commission and the department.

(a) In order to promote the best possible patient outcomes, eliminate unnecessary medical and pharmacy costs, and ensure consistency in the delivery of health care services, the department shall maintain a statewide utilization management program that shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:
  (1) Objective, evidence-based medical necessity criteria and utilization guidelines.
  (2) The review, approval, and oversight of referrals to specialty medical services.
  (3) The management and oversight of community hospital bed usage and supervision of health care bed availability.
  (4) Case management processes for high medical risk and high medical cost patients.
  (5) A preferred provider organization (PPO) and related contract initiatives that improve the coverage, resource allocation, and quality of contract medical providers and facilities.
  (b) The department shall develop and implement policies and procedures to ensure that all adult prisons employ the same statewide utilization management program established pursuant to subdivision (a) that supports the department's goals for cost-effective auditable patient outcomes, access to care, an effective and accessible specialty network, and prompt access to hospital and infirmary resources. The department shall provide a copy of these policies and procedures, by July 1, 2011, to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, the Senate Committee on Appropriations, the Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review, the Senate Committee on Health, the Senate Committee on Public Safety, the Assembly Committee on Appropriations, the Assembly Committee on Budget, the Assembly Committee on Health, and the Assembly Committee on Public Safety.
  (c) (1) The department shall establish annual quantitative utilization management performance objectives to promote greater consistency in the delivery of contract health care services, enhance health care quality outcomes, and reduce unnecessary referrals to contract medical services. On July 1, 2011, the department shall report the specific quantitative utilization management performance objectives it intends to accomplish statewide in each adult prison during the next 12 months to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, the Senate Committee on Appropriations, the Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review, the Senate Committee on Health, the Senate Committee on Public Safety, the Assembly Committee on Appropriations, the Assembly Committee on Budget, the Assembly Committee on Health, and the Assembly Committee on Public Safety.
  (2) The requirement for submitting a report imposed under this subdivision is inoperative on January 1, 2015, pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code.
  (d) On March 1, 2012, and each March 1 thereafter, the department shall report all of the following to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, the Senate Committee on Appropriations, the Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review, the Senate Committee on Health, the Senate Committee on Public Safety, the Assembly Committee on Appropriations, the Assembly Committee on Budget, the Assembly Committee on Health, and the Assembly Committee on Public Safety:
  (1) The extent to which the department achieved the statewide quantitative utilization management performance objectives set forth in the report issued the previous March as well as the most significant reasons for achieving or not achieving those performance objectives.
  (2) A list of adult prisons that achieved and a list of adult prisons that did not achieve their quantitative utilization management performance objectives and the significant reasons for the success or failure in achieving those performance objectives at each adult state prison.
  (3) The specific quantitative utilization management performance objectives the department and each adult state prison intends to accomplish in the next 12 months.
  (4) A description of planned and implemented initiatives necessary to accomplish the next 12 months' quantitative utilization management performance objectives statewide and for each adult state prison. The department shall describe initiatives that were considered and rejected and the reasons for their rejection.
  (5) The costs for inmate health care for the previous fiscal year, both statewide and at each adult state prison, and a comparison of costs from the fiscal year prior to the fiscal year being reported both statewide and at each adult state prison.
  (e) It is the intent of the Legislature that any activities the department undertakes to implement the provisions of this section shall result in no year-over-year net increase in state costs.
  (f) The following definitions shall apply to this section:
  (1) "Contract medical costs" mean costs associated with an approved contractual agreement for the purposes of providing direct and indirect specialty medical care services.
  (2) "Specialty care" means medical services not delivered by primary care providers.
  (3) "Utilization management program" means a strategy designed to ensure that health care expenditures are restricted to those that are needed and appropriate by reviewing patient-inmate medical records through the application of defined criteria or expert opinion, or both. Utilization management assesses the efficiency of the health care process and the appropriateness of decisionmaking in relation to the site of care, its frequency, and its duration through prospective, concurrent, and retrospective utilization reviews.
  (4) "Community hospital" means an institution located within a city, county, or city and county which is licensed under all applicable state and local laws and regulations to provide diagnostic and therapeutic services for the medical diagnosis, treatment, and care of injured, disabled, or sick persons in need of acute inpatient medical, psychiatric, or psychological care.
  (g) The requirement for submitting a report imposed under subdivision (d) is inoperative on March 1, 2016, pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code.

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation may contract with providers of health care services and health care network providers, including, but not limited to, health plans, preferred provider organizations, and other health care network managers. Hospitals that do not contract with the department for emergency health care services shall provide these services to the department on the same basis as they are required to provide these services pursuant to Section 489.24 of Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The department may only reimburse a noncontract provider of hospital or physician services at a rate equal to or less than the amount payable under the Medicare Fee Schedule, regardless of whether the hospital is located within or outside of California.
  (b) An entity that provides ambulance or any other emergency or nonemergency response service to the department, and that does not contract with the department for that service, shall be reimbursed for the service at the rate payable under the Medicare Fee Schedule, regardless of whether the provider is located within or outside of California.
  (c) Until regulations or emergency regulations are adopted in accordance with subdivision (g), the department shall not reimburse a contract provider of hospital services at a rate that exceeds 130 percent of the amount payable under the Medicare Fee Schedule, a contract provider of physician services at a rate that exceeds 110 percent of the amount payable under the Medicare Fee Schedule, or a contract provider of ambulance services at a rate that exceeds 120 percent of the amount payable under the Medicare Fee Schedule. The maximum rates established by this subdivision shall not apply to reimbursement for administrative days, transplant services, services provided pursuant to competitively bid contracts, or services provided pursuant to a contract executed prior to September 1, 2009.
  (d) The maximum rates set forth in this section shall not apply to contracts entered into through the department's designated health care network provider, if any. The rates for those contracts shall be negotiated at the lowest rate possible under the circumstances.
  (e) The department and its designated health care network provider may enter into exclusive or nonexclusive contracts on a bid or negotiated basis for hospital, physician, and ambulance services contracts.
  (f) The Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation may adopt regulations to implement this section. During the existence of the receivership established in United States District Court for the Northern District of California, Case No. C01-1351 TEH, Plata v. Schwarzenegger, the adoption, amendment, or repeal of a regulation authorized by this section is hereby exempted from the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code).
  (g) The secretary may change the maximum rates set forth in this section by regulation or emergency regulation, adopted in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, but no sooner than 30 days after notification to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee. Those changes may include, but are not limited to, increasing or decreasing rates, or adding location-based differentials such as those provided to small and rural hospitals as defined in Section 124840 of the Health and Safety Code. The adoption, amendment, repeal, or readoption of a regulation authorized by this section is deemed to address an emergency, for purposes of Sections 11346.1 and 11349.6 of the Government Code, and the secretary is hereby exempted for this purpose from the requirements of subdivision (b) of Section 11346.1 of the Government Code.
  (h) During the existence of the receivership established in United States District Court for the Northern District of California, Case No. C01-1351 TEH, Plata v. Schwarzenegger, references in this section to the "secretary" shall mean the receiver appointed in that action.

(a) The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation shall, by January 1, 2011, do all of the following:
  (1) Adopt industry standard claim forms for use by contract health care service providers.
  (2) Be able to accept secure electronic submission of claims from contract health care service providers.
  (3) Perform periodic audits of claims paid to contract health care providers.
  (4) Provide secure, remote electronic access to claim status information to those contract health care service providers submitting claims electronically in the manner required by the department.
  (b) The department may adopt policies and procedures for the purpose of enabling electronic health care claims management and processing. The adoption, amendment, or repeal of policies and procedures for this limited purpose are exempt from the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code).

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, money recovered prior to July 1, 2011, from an overpayment of a medical contract expenditure, under the authority of the federal health care receiver, shall be credited to the fiscal year in which the expenditure was drawn. An amount not to exceed the total amount of the funds recovered shall be augmented to the appropriation to the department for the 2010-11 fiscal year, upon approval of the Department of Finance.
  (b) Money recovered on or after July 1, 2011, from an overpayment of a medical contract expenditure, under the authority of the federal health care receiver, shall be credited to the fiscal year in which the expenditure was drawn. An amount not to exceed the amount of the overpayment shall be augmented to the appropriation to the department for the fiscal year in which the recovered funds are received, upon approval of the Department of Finance.
  (c) Any money recovered and any adjustments to appropriations made pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b) shall be reported to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee within 30 days.
  (d) The requirement for submitting a report imposed under subdivision (c) is inoperative on January 1, 2016, pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code.

(a) The Legislature finds and declares that:
  (1) State costs for purchasing drugs and medical supplies for the health care of offenders in state custody have grown rapidly in recent years and will amount to almost seventy-five million dollars ($75,000,000) annually in the 1999-2000 fiscal year.
  (2) The California State Auditor's Office found in a January 2000 audit report that the state could save millions of dollars annually by improving its current processes for the procurement of drugs for inmate health care and by pursuing alternative procurement methods.
  (3) It is the intent of the Legislature that the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, in cooperation with the Department of General Services and other appropriate state agencies, take prompt action to adopt cost-effective reforms in its drug and medical supply procurement processes by establishing a program to obtain rebates from drug manufacturers, implementing alternative contracting and procurement reforms, or by some combination of these steps.
  (b) (1) The Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code) may adopt regulations requiring manufacturers of drugs to pay the department a rebate for the purchase of drugs for offenders in state custody that is at least equal to the rebate that would be applicable to the drug under Section 1927(c) of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1396r-8(c)). Any such regulation shall, at a minimum, specify the procedures for notifying drug manufacturers of the rebate requirements and for collecting rebate payments.
  (2) If a rebate program is implemented, the secretary shall develop, maintain, and update as necessary a list of drugs to be provided under the rebate program, and establish a rate structure for reimbursement of each drug included in the rebate program. Rates shall not be less than the actual cost of the drug. However, the secretary may purchase a listed drug directly from the manufacturer and negotiate the most favorable bulk price for that drug. In order to minimize state administrative costs and maximize state benefits for the rebate program, the secretary may establish a program that focuses upon obtaining rebates for those drugs that it determines are purchased by the department in relatively large volumes.
  (3) If a rebate program is implemented, the department shall submit an invoice, not less than two times per year, to each manufacturer for the amount of the rebate required by this subdivision. Drugs may be removed from the list for failure to pay the rebate required by this subdivision, unless the department determines that purchase of the drug is a medical necessity or that purchase of the drug is necessary to comply with a court order to ensure the appropriate provision of quality health care to offenders in state custody.
  (4) In order to minimize state administrative costs and maximize state benefits for such a rebate program, if one is implemented, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation may enter into interagency agreements with the Department of General Services, the State Department of Health Care Services, the State Department of State Hospitals, or the State Department of Developmental Services, the University of California, another appropriate state department, or with more than one of those entities, for joint participation in a rebate program, collection and monitoring of necessary drug price and rebate data, the billing of manufacturers for rebates, the resolution of any disputes over rebates, and any other services necessary for the cost-effective operation of the rebate program.
  (5) The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, separately or in cooperation with other state agencies, may contract for the services of a pharmaceutical benefits manager for any services necessary for the cost-effective operation of the rebate program, if one is implemented, or for other services to improve the contracting and procurement of drugs and medical supplies for inmate health care.
  (c) Nothing in this section shall prohibit the department, as an alternative to or in addition to establishing a rebate program for drugs for inmate health care, from implementing, in cooperation with the Department of General Services and other appropriate state agencies, other cost-effective strategies for procurement of drugs and medical supplies for offenders in state custody, including, but not limited to:
  (1) Improvements in the existing statewide master agreement procedures for purchasing contract and noncontract drugs at a discount from drug manufacturers.
  (2) Participation by offenders in state custody infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the etiologic agent of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), in the AIDS Drug Assistance Program.
  (3) Membership in the Minnesota Multistate Contracting Alliance for Pharmacy (MMCAP) or other cooperative purchasing arrangements with other governmental entities.
  (4) Greater centralization or standardization of procurement of drugs and medical supplies among individual prisons in the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation prison system.
  (d) The California State Auditor's Office shall report to the Legislature and the Governor by January 10, 2002, its findings in regard to:
  (1) An evaluation of the trends in state costs for the procurement of drugs and medical supplies for offenders in state custody, and an assessment of the major factors affecting those trends.
  (2) A summary of the steps taken by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Department of General Services, and other appropriate state agencies to implement this section.
  (3) An evaluation of the compliance by these state agencies with the findings and recommendations of the January 2000 California State Auditor's Office report for reform of procurement of drugs and medical supplies for offenders in state custody.
  (4) Any further recommendations of the California State Auditor's Office for reform of state drug procurement practices, policies, or statutes.

(a) The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is authorized to maintain and operate a comprehensive pharmacy services program for those facilities under the jurisdiction of the department that is both cost effective and efficient, and shall incorporate the following:
  (1) A statewide pharmacy administration system with direct authority and responsibility for program administration and oversight.
  (2) Medically necessary pharmacy services using professionally and legally qualified pharmacists, consistent with the size and the scope of medical services provided.
  (3) Written procedures and operational practices pertaining to the delivery of pharmaceutical services.
  (4) A multidisciplinary, statewide Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee responsible for all of the following:
  (A) Developing and managing a department formulary.
  (B) Standardizing the strengths and dosage forms for medications used in department facilities.
  (C) Maintaining and monitoring a system for the review and evaluation of corrective actions related to errors in prescribing, dispensing, and administering medications.
  (D) Conducting regular therapeutic category reviews for medications listed in the department formulary.
  (E) Evaluating medication therapies and providing input to the development of disease management guidelines used in the department.
  (5) A requirement for the use of generic medications, when available, unless an exception is reviewed and approved in accordance with an established nonformulary approval process. The nonformulary approval process shall include a process whereby a prescriber may indicate on the face of the prescription "dispense as written" or other appropriate form for electronic prescriptions.
  (6) Use of an enterprise-based pharmacy operating system that provides management with information on prescription workloads, medication utilization, prescribing data, and other key pharmacy information.
  (b) The department is authorized to operate and maintain a centralized pharmacy distribution center to provide advantages of scale and efficiencies related to medication purchasing, inventory control, volume production, drug distribution, workforce utilization, and increased patient safety. It is the intent of the Legislature that the centralized pharmacy distribution center and institutional pharmacies be licensed as pharmacies by the California State Board of Pharmacy meeting all applicable regulations applying to a pharmacy.
  (1) To the extent it is cost effective and efficient, the centralized pharmacy distribution center should include systems to do the following:
  (A) Order and package bulk pharmaceuticals and prescription and stock orders for all department correctional facilities.
  (B) Label medications as required to meet state and federal prescription requirements.
  (C) Provide barcode validation matching the drug to the specific prescription or floor stock order.
  (D) Sort completed orders for shipping and delivery to department facilities.
  (2) Notwithstanding any other requirements, the department centralized pharmacy distribution center is authorized to do the following:
  (A) Package bulk pharmaceuticals into both floor stock and patient-specific packs.
  (B) Reclaim, for reissue, unused and unexpired medications.
  (C) Distribute the packaged products to department facilities for use within the state corrections system.
  (3) The centralized pharmacy distribution center should maintain a system of quality control checks on each process used to package, label, and distribute medications. The quality control system may include a regular process of random checks by a licensed pharmacist.
  (c) The department may investigate and initiate potential systematic improvements in order to provide for the safe and efficient distribution and control of, and accountability for, drugs within the department's statewide pharmacy administration system, taking into account factors unique to the correctional environment.
  (d) The department should ensure that there is a program providing for the regular inspection of all department pharmacies in the state to verify compliance with applicable law, rules, regulations, and other standards as may be appropriate to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the department's inmate patients.
  (e) On March 1, 2012, and each March 1 thereafter, the department shall report all of the following to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, the Senate Committee on Appropriations, the Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review, the Senate Committee on Health, the Senate Committee on Public Safety, the Assembly Committee on Appropriations, the Assembly Committee on Budget, the Assembly Committee on Health, and the Assembly Committee on Public Safety:
  (1) The extent to which the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee has been established and achieved the objectives set forth in this section, as well as the most significant reasons for achieving or not achieving those objectives.
  (2) The extent to which the department is achieving the objective of operating a fully functioning and centralized pharmacy distribution center, as set forth in this section, that distributes pharmaceuticals to every adult prison under the jurisdiction of the department, as well as the most significant reasons for achieving or not achieving that objective.
  (3) The extent to which the centralized pharmacy distribution center is achieving cost savings through improved efficiency and distribution of unit dose medications.
  (4) A description of planned or implemented initiatives to accomplish the next 12 months' objectives for achieving the goals set forth in this section, including a fully functioning and centralized pharmacy distribution center that distributes pharmaceuticals to every adult facility under the jurisdiction of the department.
  (5) The costs for prescription pharmaceuticals for the previous fiscal year, both statewide and at each adult prison under the jurisdiction of the department, and a comparison of these costs with those of the prior fiscal year.
  (f) The requirement for submitting a report imposed under subdivision (e) is inoperative on March 1, 2016, pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code.

(a) The Department of Corrections shall adopt policies, procedures, and criteria to identify selected medication categories for the development of utilization protocols based on best practices, and the use of generic and therapeutic substitutes, as appropriate.
  (b) The department shall develop utilization and treatment protocols for select medication categories based on defined priority criteria, including, but not limited to, the cost of the medications.
  (c) On or before April 1, 2006, the department shall provide information, as part of the fiscal committee budget hearings for the 2006-07 budget year, on the impact of the adoption of these protocols.
  (d) The department shall coordinate the implementation of this section with the Department of General Services' prescription drug bulk purchasing program pursuant to Chapter 12 (commencing with Section 14977) of Part 5.5 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, in order to better achieve the goals and intent of that program.
  (e) It is the intent of the Legislature that the department shall complete the implementation of this section utilizing the existing resources of the department.

(a) On or before July 1, 1993, the Department of Corrections shall implement and maintain procedures to identify inmates serving terms in state prison who are undocumented aliens subject to deportation. This identification procedure shall be completed, as to each inmate, within 90 days of the Department of Corrections having taken custody of the inmate.
  (b) The procedures implemented by the department, pursuant to subdivision (a), shall include, but not be limited to, the following criteria for determining the country of citizenship of any person serving a term in state prison:
  (1) Country of citizenship.
  (2) Place of birth.
  (3) Inmate's statements.
  (4) Prior parole records.
  (5) Prior arrest records.
  (6) Probation Officer's Report (POR).
  (7) Information from the Department of Justice's Criminal Identification and Information Unit.
  (8) Other legal documents.
  (c) The Department of Corrections shall report annually to the Legislature the number of persons identified as undocumented aliens pursuant to subdivision (a). The reports shall contain the number of persons referred, the race, national origin, and national ancestry of persons referred, the offense or offenses for which the person was committed to state prison, and the disposition of the referral, if known.

(a) Immediately upon the effective date of the amendments to this section made at the 1993-94 First Extraordinary Session of the Legislature, the Department of Corrections and the Department of the Youth Authority shall implement and maintain procedures to identify, within 90 days of assuming custody, inmates serving terms in state prison or wards of the Department of the Youth Authority who are undocumented felons subject to deportation. The Department of Corrections and the Department of the Youth Authority shall refer to the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service the name and location of any inmate or ward who may be an undocumented alien and who may be subject to deportation for a determination of whether the inmate or ward is undocumented and subject to deportation. The Department of Corrections and the Department of the Youth Authority shall make case files available to the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service for purposes of investigation.
  (b) The procedures implemented by the department pursuant to subdivision (a) shall include, but not be limited to, the following criteria for determining the country of citizenship of any person serving a term in the state prison:
  (1) Country of citizenship.
  (2) Place of birth.
  (3) Inmate's statements.
  (4) Prior parole records.
  (5) Prior arrest records.
  (6) Probation Officer's Report (POR).
  (7) Information from the Department of Justice's Criminal Identification and Information Unit.
  (8) Other legal documents.
  (c) Within 48 hours of identifying an inmate or ward as an undocumented felon pursuant to subdivision (a), the Department of Corrections and the Department of the Youth Authority shall cause the inmate or ward to be transferred to the custody of the United States Attorney General for appropriate action. Once an inmate or ward has been identified as an undocumented felon by the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service, the inmate or ward shall not undergo any additional evaluation or classification procedures other than those required for the safety or security of the institution, the inmate or ward, or the public.
  (d) The Department of Corrections shall report quarterly to the Legislature the number of persons referred to the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service pursuant to subdivision (a). The report shall contain the number of persons transported, the race, national origin, and national ancestry of persons transported, the offense or offenses for which the persons were committed to state prison, and the facilities to which the persons were transported.

The Department of Corrections shall cooperate with the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service by providing the use of prison facilities, transportation, and general support, as needed, for the purposes of conducting and expediting deportation hearings and subsequent placement of deportation holds on undocumented aliens who are incarcerated in state prison.

(a) Upon the entry of any person who is currently or was previously a foreign national into a facility operated by the Department of Corrections, the Director of Corrections shall inform the person that he or she may apply to be transferred to serve the remainder of his or her prison term in his or her current or former nation of citizenship. The director shall inform the person that he or she may contact his or her consulate and shall ensure that if notification is requested by the inmate, that the inmate's nearest consulate or embassy is notified without delay of his or her incarceration.
  (b) Upon the request of a foreign consulate representing a nation that requires mandatory notification under Article 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations Treaty listed in subdivision (d) of Section 834c, the Department of Corrections shall provide the foreign consulate with a list of the names and locations of all inmates in its custody that have self-identified that nation as his or her place of birth.
  (c) The Department of Corrections shall implement and maintain procedures to process applications for the transfer of prisoners to their current or former nations of citizenship under subdivision (a) and shall forward all applications to the Governor or his or her designee for appropriate action.

(a) The Director of Corrections shall ensure that documents, computers, or computer accessible media containing personal information relating to an employee of the Department of Corrections are not removed from the state prison without proper authorization from the warden or his or her designee.
  (b) Any employee of the Department of Corrections who, without proper authorization, knowingly removes personal information relating to an employee of the Department of Corrections from the state prison in violation of subdivision (a), or who fails to provide the appropriate notice as required in subdivision (c), is subject to disciplinary action.
  (c) (1) An employee who removes personal information shall, once the employee is aware that the information either is lost or stolen or cannot be accounted for, make a reasonable effort to immediately notify the warden, or his or her designee, of that fact.
  (2) The warden, or his or her designee, shall attempt to notify the employee whose personal information either is lost or stolen or cannot be accounted for within 24 hours of receiving the notice under paragraph (1).
  (d) For purposes of this section, "personal information" shall have the same meaning as set forth in Section 1798.3 of the Civil Code.
  (e) It is not the intent of the Legislature, in enacting this section, to inhibit or prevent a person from making a disclosure of improper governmental activity that is protected by subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 6129, or by the California Whistleblower Protection Act, Article 3 (commencing with Section 8547) of Chapter 6.5 of Division 1 of Title 2 of the Government Code, or by the Whistleblower Protection Act, Article 10 (commencing with Section 9149.20) of Chapter 1.5 of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 2 of the Government Code. Furthermore, nothing in this section shall be construed to interfere with the authority of the Office of the Inspector General pursuant to Section 6126.5 of this code, nor the authority of the State Auditor pursuant to Section 8545.2 of the Government Code.

(a) The possession or use of tobacco products by inmates under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections is prohibited. The Director of Corrections shall adopt regulations to implement this prohibition, which shall include an exemption for departmentally approved religious ceremonies.
  (b) The use of tobacco products by any person not included in subdivision (a) on the grounds of any institution or facility under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections is prohibited, with the exception of residential staff housing where inmates are not present.

(a) The department shall submit an estimate of expenditures for each state or contracted facility housing offenders and for the cost of supervising offenders on parole, by region, for inclusion in the annual Governor's Budget and the May Revision thereto. The department shall submit its preliminary estimates for the current and next fiscal years to the Department of Finance by October 1 of each year and revised estimates by April 1 of the following year. The Department of Finance shall approve, modify, or deny the assumptions underlying all estimates and the population estimates released for the annual Governor's Budget and the May Revision. The April 1 submission shall only be a revision of the October 1 estimates and may not include any new assumptions or estimates from those submitted in the October 1 estimate.
  (b) The population estimate for each state or contracted adult or juvenile facility shall contain, at least, the following:
  (1) The capacity, as measured by the number of beds, categorized by cells, dorms, and intended security level.
  (2) The projected number of offenders, by security level.
  (3) The actual number of offenders, by security level.
  (4) The number of offenders in a security level that differ from the classification score.
  (5) The number of offenders, by program, that could benefit from rehabilitative programming, as identified by an assessment of risk and criminogenic needs.
  (6) The actual number of offenders, by program, that receive rehabilitative programming based on an assessment of risk and criminogenic needs.
  (7) A comparison of the number of authorized positions, filled positions, and vacant positions, by classification.
  (8) The budget authority, as displayed in the annual Budget Act by program, compared to fiscal year-to-date expenditures and projected expenditures for the fiscal year.
  (c) The population estimate for the Division of Adult Parole Operations shall contain at least the following:
  (1) The projected number of offenders in each subpopulation, by region, and the total number of offenders.
  (2) The actual number of offenders in each subpopulation, by region, and the total number of offenders.
  (3) The number of offenders, by region, that could benefit from rehabilitative programming, as identified by an assessment of risk and criminogenic needs.
  (4) The actual number of offenders, by region, that receive rehabilitative programming based on an assessment of risk and criminogenic needs.
  (5) The number of ratio-driven positions budgeted in each region.
  (6) The number of nonratio positions budgeted in each region, by function.
  (7) A comparison of the number of authorized positions, filled positions, and vacant positions, by region and function.
  (8) The budget authority, as displayed in the annual Budget Act by program, compared to fiscal year-to-date expenditures and projected expenditures for the fiscal year.
  (d) The estimates shall include fiscal charts that track appropriations from the Budget Act to the current Governor's Budget and the May Revision for all fund sources for the current year and budget year.
  (e) In the event that the methodological steps employed to arrive at previous estimates differ from those proposed, the department shall submit a descriptive narrative of the revised methodology. This information shall be provided to the Department of Finance, the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, and the public safety policy committees and fiscal committees of the Legislature.
  (f) On or after January 10, if the Department of Finance discovers a material error in the information provided pursuant to this section, the Department of Finance shall inform the consultants to the fiscal committees of the Legislature of the error in a timely manner.
  (g) The departmental estimates, assumptions, and other supporting data prepared for purposes of this section shall be forwarded annually to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and the public safety policy committees and fiscal committees of the Legislature.

The department, as directed by the Department of Finance, shall work with the appropriate budget and policy committees of the Legislature and the Legislative Analyst's Office to establish appropriate oversight, evaluation, and accountability measures that shall be adopted as part of their "future of corrections plan." This shall include a periodic review, conducted by the Department of Finance's Office of State Audits and Evaluations, that assesses the fiscal benchmarks of the plan. The Office of State Audits and Evaluations shall report to the Governor and the Legislature on its findings and recommendations annually with the first report submitted by April 1, 2013. Reports to the Legislature shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.