(a) The County Executive may adopt regulations under method (2) to implement this Chapter. The regulations must not conflict with any provisions of this Chapter or be less restrictive than the provisions of Chapter 26.
(b) The Director may waive any requirement of this Chapter or any regulation issued under this Chapter for good cause.
(c) Regulations issued to implement this Chapter must set standards for:
(1) program and administrative requirements for group residential care, such as the qualifications of the licensee and staff, adequate staffing and supervision, health and other records pertaining to group home residents, medication management, telephone service, minimum space per resident, transportation resources, and the scope of the services to be provided;
(2) when a program statement or a criminal background check is required;
(3) evacuation plans;
(4) coordination of the administration and enforcement of this Chapter with appropriate State and local agencies, under which the County must accept regulatory standards, inspections, and reviews by State and local agencies to fulfill County licensure requirements when the population being served and the standards of care are substantially identical;
(5) health and sanitation;
(6) handling complaints of violations of this Chapter, and procedures to refer complaints not related to this Chapter to the licensee and any public agency with jurisdiction over the complaint;
(7) time and schedule requirements to approve or disapprove a license application, not including any time needed to obtain a special exception; and
(8) admission and retention of residents. (1977 L.M.C., ch. 32, § 2; 1984 L.M.C., ch. 24, § 24; 1997 L.M.C., ch. 2, § 1.)