(a)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the department shall conduct any authorized inspection, announced site visit, or unannounced site visit of any child daycare facility only during the period beginning one hour before and ending one hour after the facility’s normal business hours or at any time childcare services are being provided. This subdivision shall not apply to the investigation of any complaint received by the department if the department determines that an inspection or site visit outside the time period beginning one hour before, and ending one hour after, the facility’s normal operating hours is necessary to protect the health or safety of any child in the facility.

(b)  If a facility is closed for an extended period of time, the department may not perform any inspection, announced site visit, or unannounced site visit until the facility has reopened, subject to subdivision (a).

(c)  The department shall develop regulations establishing a procedure by which a licensee of any childcare facility may notify the licensing agency of a planned period of inactivity in the operation of the facility. The department shall also develop regulations establishing a procedure by which the department shall determine if it will grant inactive status to a licensee after receiving this notice from the licensee.

(d)  If the department grants inactive status to a licensee pursuant to subdivision (c), the license shall not be valid during the period of inactivity in the operation of the facility, the licensee shall be responsible for the payment of annual licensing fees and for maintaining licensing standards upon reactivation of operation of the facility, and the department’s timeframe for required site visits shall be adjusted accordingly. However, if the department believes the licensee is operating during a period in which the department has granted inactive status to the licensee, the department may enter the facility for any inspection permitted by law.

(e)  This section shall be operative July 1, 2003.

(Added by Stats. 2002, Ch. 122, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2003. Section operative July 1, 2003, by its own provisions.)