(a) Any ombudsman coordinator, designated ombudsman, or other representative of the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman (hereinafter “Office”) shall have the right of entry to any long-term care facility, as defined under Section 9701(b) of the Welfare and Institutions Code, to carry out the responsibilities of the Office as provided in Sections 9712.5, 9722, and 9726.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. The State Long-Term Care Ombudsman deems necessary and reasonable hours for such facility entry to be between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. seven days a week.

(b) Entry by Ombudsman representatives between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. shall be made after a request is made to, and after express authorization is received from, the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman or his/her designated representative. The ombudsman coordinator, as defined under Section 9701(d) of the Welfare and Institutions Code, shall notify the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman of any planned entry and shall describe the circumstances making the entry necessary. If the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman or his/her designated representative is unavailable, authorization for such entry may be given by the ombudsman coordinator, followed by notice to the Office and a description of the circumstances making the entry necessary.