Health and Safety Code section 1259.5

By January 1, 1995, each general acute care hospital, acute psychiatric hospital, special hospital, psychiatric health facility, and chemical dependency recovery hospital shall establish written policies and procedures to screen patients routinely for the purpose of detecting spousal or partner abuse. The policies shall include guidelines on all of the following:

(a)

Identifying, through routine screening, spousal or partner abuse among patients.

(b)

Documenting patient injuries or illnesses attributable to spousal or partner abuse.

(c)

Educating appropriate hospital staff about the criteria for identifying, and the procedures for handling, patients whose injuries or illnesses are attributable to spousal or partner abuse.

(d)

Advising patients exhibiting signs of spousal or partner abuse of crisis intervention services that are available either through the hospital facility or through community-based crisis intervention and counseling services.

(e)

Providing to patients who exhibit signs of spousal or partner abuse information on domestic violence and a referral list, to be updated periodically, of private and public community agencies that provide, or arrange for, evaluation of and care for persons experiencing spousal or partner abuse, including, but not limited to, hot lines, local domestic violence shelter-based programs, legal services, and information about temporary restraining orders.

Source: Section 1259.5, https://leginfo.­legislature.­ca.­gov/faces/codes_displaySection.­xhtml?lawCode=HSC§ionNum=1259.­5.­ (accessed Apr. 24, 2025).

Last Updated

Apr. 24, 2025

§ 1259.5’s source at ca​.gov