California is going to get 70 more investigators to monitor conditions at nursing facilities around the state, according to state officials.

The Department of Public Health, along with the state legislature, has made an increasing push to raise levels of monitoring and enforcement for California nursing facilities.

From the legislative side, recent passage of SB 853 (a trailer bill passed during budget finalization and recently signed by the governor) pushes for more nursing home inspections.

It also funds the state’s ombudsman program, a network of volunteers and state workers that handle complaints across the state. That program has been on the verge of a funding abyss, and has been rescued several times in the past two years, including by SB 853.