The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a)  Family day care homes operated under the standards of state law constitute accessory uses of residentially zoned and occupied properties and do not fundamentally alter the nature of the underlying residential uses. Family day care homes draw clients and vehicles to their sites during a limited time of day and do not require the attendance of a large number of employees and equipment.

(b)  The uses of congregate care facilities are distinguishable from the uses of family day care homes operated under the standards of state law. For purposes of this section, a “congregate care facility” means a “residential facility,” as defined in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 1502. Congregate care facilities are used throughout the day and night, and the institutional uses of these facilities are primary uses of the facilities, not accessory uses, and draw a large number of employees, vehicles, and equipment compared to that drawn to family day care homes.

(c)  The expansion permitted for family day care homes by Sections 1597.44 and 1597.465 is not appropriate with respect to congregate care facilities, or any other facilities with quasi-institutional uses. Therefore, with these provisions, the Legislature does not intend to alter the legal standards governing congregate care facilities and these provisions are not intended to encourage, or be a precedent for, changes in statutory and case law governing congregate care facilities.

(Added by Stats. 1996, Ch. 18, Sec. 3.5. Effective January 1, 1997.)