(a) The department shall have the sole authority to issue, deny, suspend, or revoke the license of a driving-under-the-influence program. As used in this chapter, “program” means any firm, partnership, association, corporation, local governmental entity, agency, or place that has been initially recommended by the county board of supervisors, subject to any limitation imposed pursuant to subdivisions (c) and (d), and that is subsequently licensed by the department to provide alcohol or drug recovery services in that county to any of the following:

1. (1) A person whose license to drive has been administratively suspended or revoked for, or who is convicted of, a violation of Section 23152 or 23153 of the Vehicle Code, and admitted to a program pursuant to Section 13352, 13352.1, 23538, 23542, 23548, 23552, 23556, 23562, or 23568 of the Vehicle Code.
2. (2) A person who is convicted of a violation of subdivision (b), (c), (d), or (e) of Section 655 of the Harbors and Navigation Code, or of Section 655.4 of that code, and admitted to the program pursuant to Section 668 of that code.
3. (3) A person who has pled guilty or nolo contendere to a charge of a violation of Section 23103 of the Vehicle Code, under the conditions set forth in subdivision (c) of Section 23103.5 of the Vehicle Code, and who has been admitted to the program under subdivision (e) or (f) of Section 23103.5 of the Vehicle Code.
4. (4) A person whose license has been suspended, revoked, or delayed due to a violation of Section 23140, and who has been admitted to a program under Article 2 (commencing with Section 23502) of Chapter 1 of Division 11.5 of the Vehicle Code.

(d) After determining a need, a county board of supervisors may also place one or more limitations on the services to be provided by a driving-under-the-influence program or the area the program may operate within the county, when it initially recommends a program to the department pursuant to subdivision (a).

1. (1) For purposes of this subdivision, a board of supervisors may restrict a program for those convicted of a first driving-under-the-influence offense to providing only a three-month program, or may restrict a program to those convicted of a second or subsequent driving-under-the-influence offense to providing only an 18-month program, as a condition of its recommendation.
2. (2) A board of supervisors may not place restrictions on a program that would violate a statute or regulation.
3. (3) When recommending a program, if a board of supervisors fails to place any limitation on a program pursuant to this subdivision, the department may license that program to provide any driving-under-the-influence program services that are allowed by law within that county.
4. (4) This subdivision is intended to apply only to the initial recommendation to the department for licensure of a program by the county. It is not intended to affect a license that has been previously issued by the department or the renewal of a license for a driving-under-the-influence program. In counties where a contract or other written agreement is currently in effect between the county and a licensed driving-under-the-influence program operating in that county, this subdivision is not intended to alter the terms of that relationship or the renewal of that relationship.

(e)

1. (1) Notwithstanding Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code and Section 11835, the department, without taking any further regulatory action, shall implement, interpret, or make specific this section for the purpose of alcohol or drug recovery services provided in virtual settings by means of all-county letters, plan letters, information notices, or similar instructions, until regulations are promulgated or amended in accordance with paragraph (2).
2. (2) On or before January 1, 2026, the department shall promulgate regulations, in accordance with Section 11835, governing the provision of alcohol or drug recovery services pursuant to this section in virtual settings.