CA AB2079

Replaces staff-to-patient ratio requirements with direct care service hours per patient day for skilled nursing facilities, increasing from 3.2 hours to 4.1 hours by January 1, 2020 through incremental increases.

Requires skilled nursing facilities to post daily staffing information including resident census, current shift staffing levels by role, and staff breakdown (registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, psychiatric technicians, certified nursing assistants) in public areas and employee break areas.

Mandates facilities provide staffing data to the public upon request within 15 days at reasonable cost, with fees capped at $0.10 per page or $60 for digital delivery.

Authorizes the State Department of Health Care Services and State Department of Public Health to develop short-term waivers of direct care hour requirements for facilities addressing healthcare professional shortages, subject to annual review and renewal or revocation.

Applies incremental staffing hour increases differently to distinct parts of general acute care facilities and state hospitals, which remain at 3.2 hours, compared to other skilled nursing facilities reaching 4.1 hours by 2020.