CA AB2926

Redefines "placement agency" requirements as "referral source" obligations for entities referring seniors to residential care facilities for the elderly, with expanded scope covering county welfare departments, hospitals, conservators, and regional centers.

Prohibits referral sources from referring individuals to facilities without proper licensing, referring individuals whose health needs exceed facility capacity, or referring to facilities in which they have ownership, management interest, or common executive employees without written waiver from the senior.

Requires compensated referral sources to provide seniors with written, electronic, or verbal disclosures before referral including service description, contact information, privacy policy, fee arrangement details, and right to request cessation of contact.

Mandates compensated referral sources to use nationally accredited background check providers, maintain $1-2 million liability insurance, contract only with licensed facilities, display privacy policies, and refrain from holding power of attorney for residents.

Establishes criminal penalties (misdemeanor) for violations of licensing, health condition matching, conflict of interest, unlicensed facility reporting, and safety incident reporting requirements, with civil penalties of $250-$1,000 for disclosure violations.