California Title 15, §1212 Vermin Control: A Rule About Infested People, Not Infested Buildings

Citation

California Code of Regulations, Title 15, Division 1, Chapter 1, Subchapter 4 (Minimum Standards for Local Detention Facilities), adopted by the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC). Read from the BSCC’s full regulation text “Effective April 1, 2025” and cross-checked against the Legal Information Institute’s copies of §§1212, 1264 and 1280 on September 26, 2026.

What It Says (Verbatim)

§1212 Vermin Control (the section in full):

“The responsible physician shall develop a written plan for the control and treatment of incarcerated persons who are found to be vermin-infested. There shall be written, medical protocols, signed by the responsible physician, for the treatment of persons suspected of being infested or having contact with a vermin-infested incarcerated person.”

§1264 Control of Vermin in Personal Clothing:

“There shall be written policies and procedures developed by the facility administrator to control the contamination and/or spread of vermin in all incarcerated people’s personal clothing. Infested clothing shall be cleaned, disinfected, or stored in a closed container so as to eradicate or stop the spread of the vermin.”

§1280 Facility Sanitation, Safety, and Maintenance (first paragraph):

“The facility administrator shall develop written policies and procedures for the maintenance of an acceptable level of cleanliness, repair and safety throughout the facility. Such a plan shall provide for a regular schedule of housekeeping tasks and inspections to identify and correct unsanitary or unsafe conditions or work practices which may be found.”

§1245(a), kitchens:

“(a) Kitchen facilities, sanitation, and food preparation, service, and storage shall comply with standards set forth in Health and Safety Code, Division 104, Part 7, Chapters 1-13, Sections 113700 et seq. California Retail Food Code.”

Health and Safety Code §114259.1 (Retail Food Code):

“The premises of each food facility shall be kept free of vermin.”

Health and Safety Code §101045(a), annual health officer inspection:

“(a) The county health officer shall, at least annually, investigate health and sanitary conditions in a county jail, publicly operated detention facility in the county, and private work furlough facility and program established pursuant to Section 1208 of the Penal Code.”

What It Means in Plain Language

1. §1212 is about people. The responsible physician writes the plan and signs the protocols for treating vermin-infested persons and their contacts.
2. §1264 is about clothing. The facility administrator sets policies to stop vermin spreading through personal clothing.
3. No Title 15 section requires facility pest control. §1280 requires a housekeeping and inspection schedule to find and correct unsanitary conditions, without naming pests, a frequency, or a provider.
4. Kitchens are the exception. §1245(a) brings in the Retail Food Code, whose §114259.1 requires food facility premises to be kept free of vermin.
5. The county health officer inspects at least annually (Health and Safety Code §101045(a)).

Who It Applies To

Local detention facilities of Types I through IV under the BSCC’s Title 15 standards, as §1010(a) states. The BSCC’s duty to set the standards is Penal Code §6030(a), quoted above.

Penal Code § 6030(a):

“(a) The Board of State and Community Corrections shall establish minimum standards for local correctional facilities.”

Documentation Evidence

• The §1212 plan and the signed medical protocols for vermin infestation
• §1264 clothing policies and laundry records
• The §1280 housekeeping and inspection schedule and its correction records
• Kitchen inspection reports under the Retail Food Code
• The county health officer’s annual inspection report

Confidence Notes

HIGH confidence. Quotes were read from the BSCC’s April 1, 2025 compilation and matched in the Legal Information Institute copies. The statement that no Title 15 section requires facility pest control is a documented negative from a full-text search of the compilation; Title 24 construction text in the BSCC’s 2013 compilation had no vermin, pest, insect, rodent or screen terms (that compilation may be superseded).