The California Department of State Hospitals (DSH) is governed by statutes (state laws) that were passed by the California Legislature.  Those statutes give DSH the authority to promulgate regulations.  Regulations are rules that set out the requirements and procedures DSH uses to implement, interpret, or make more specific the statutes that govern the department.  Legally adopted regulations filed with the Secretary of State have the same force of law as statutes passed by the California Legislature.

To receive DSH notices of rulemaking please send your Name and Email address to DSH.Regulations@dsh.ca.gov

Submit comments on these DSH proposed regulations via email or U.S. Mail, addressed to:

Department of State Hospitals
Regulations and Policy Unit
1215 O Street, MS-20
Sacramento, CA 95814
Fax: (916) 651-3090
DSH.Regulations@dsh.ca.gov

Proposed Regulations

• Entry Into Patient Rooms and Observation Rounds - Regular Rulemaking
• Contraband Disposition - Regular Rulemaking

Completed Regulations

• Conflict of Interest Code
  (Effective Date: 4/21/2025)
• Contraband Disposition - Emergency Rulemaking
  (Effective Date: 12/12/2024)
• Architectural and Engineering Contracts - Regular Rulemaking
  (Effective Date: 7/1/2024)
• Property Transfer Between Patients - Regular Rulemaking
  (Effective Date 4/1/2023)
• Contraband Search and Confiscation - Certificate of Compliance
  (Effective Date: 5/6/2022)
• Enhanced Treatment Program - Certificate of Compliance
  (Effective Date: 2/10/2022)
• Enhanced Treatment Program - Emergency Rulemaking
  (Effective Date: April 23, 2020)
• Contraband Search and Confiscation - Emergency Rulemaking
  (Effective Date: April 23, 2020)
• Conflict of Interest Code
  (Effective Date: May 1, 2020)
• Hospital Access System - Regular Rulemaking
  (Effective Date: April 6, 2020)
• Guidelines on Court Appointment of Forensic Evaluators - (Formally Alienist) Regular Rulemaking
  (Effective Date: April 1, 2020)
• Office of Protective Services - Section 100, Changes without Regulatory Effect (Withdrawn)
• Patient Electronic Property - Regular Rulemaking
  (Effective Date: February 5, 2019)
• Electronic Patient Property - Emergency Rulemaking
  (Effective Date: January 12, 2018)
• Sexually Violent Predators Standardized Assessment Protocol - Regular Rulemaking
  (Effective Date: April 1, 2019)
• Assessment of Sexually Violent Predators - Regular Rulemaking
  (Effective Date: August 20, 2018)
• Assessment of Sexually Violent Predators - Emergency Regulation
  (Effective Date: August 17, 2017)
• Conflict of Interest
  (Effective Date: January 4, 2018)
• End of Life Option Act - Emergency Regulation
  (Effective Date: June 27, 2016)
• End of Life Option Act - Regular Rulemaking
  (Effective Date: April 1, 2017)
• Incompetent to Stand Trial Admissions Process - Emergency Regulations
  (Effective Date: September 16, 2016)
• Incompetent to Stand Trial Admissions Process - Regular Rulemaking
  (Effective Date: November 22, 2017)