Senior Citizens' Issues

Seniors' Legislation

Seniors' Legislation

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SB 139* (Margett-R) Personal income taxes: long-term care
Allows a credit equal to 30 percent of the cost of long-term care or long-term care insurance for a taxpayer or the taxpayer's parent, and provides that the credit shall not exceed $300 for each taxpayer or $600 for taxpayers filing jointly, among other things.
(Died in Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee)

SB 192 (Scott-D) Annuities: seniors
Establishes standards and procedures for recommendations to seniors that result in the purchase of an annuity so that the insurance needs and financial objectives of the senior are appropriately addressed. For purposes of this analysis, "senior," "senior consumer" and "elder" all refer to an individual 65 years of age or older.
(Died in Assembly Insurance Committee)

SB 212 (Lowenthal-D) Lapses of consciousness: reports to DMV
Seeks to modify the state's existing driver safety law relating to a physician's duty to report any patient the physician has diagnosed as having a disorder characterized by lapses of consciousness that might result in traffic accidents.
Vetoed by the Governor

SB 308 (Simitian-D) Elder and dependent adult financial abuse prevention
Authorizes, upon adoption of a resolution, a county board of supervisors to impose a fee of up to $2 to be paid at the time of recording of real estate instruments, to be placed in the Elder and Dependent Adult Financial Abuse Prevention Trust Fund and expended to fund programs to deter, investigate, and civilly prosecute the financial abuse of elders and dependent adults in the context of real estate transactions.
Vetoed by the Governor

SB 374 (Alquist-D) Residential care facilities for the elderly: evaluations
Requires the Department of Social Services to make an unannounced evaluation visit to each residential care facility for the elderly at least once every two years.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 415* (Alquist-D) Advance health care directive
Requires the Secretary of State to establish an Internet web site that allows an individual to register with the Advance Health Care Registry and specified entities to request information from the registry on a 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week basis, and authorizes the Secretary of State to receive voluntary contributions to be deposited in the Advance Health Care Directive Registry Fund, created by the bill, to support the registry and its activities.
(Died in Senate Judiciary Committee)

SB 516 (Ortiz-D) Fire protection: residential care facility for the elderly
Requires small residential care facilities for the elderly to install and maintain automatic fire sprinklers by January 1, 2013.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 533 (Dunn-D) Long-term health care facilities: admission contracts
Requires a statement in an abbreviated contract of admission to a long-term health care facility informing the person being admitted whether or not the facility is covered by liability insurance.
(Died in Senate Health Committee)

SB 571 (Perata-D) Adult day health care services: certification
Requires applicants for adult day health care facility certification to attend an orientation provided by the California Department of Aging (CDA) and submit documentation of the need for the facility and other specified information to CDA. Allows CDA to conduct a face-to-face interview with the applicant, lists the items that must be examined to qualify for certification and authorizes CDA to give priority to certain applications.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 642* (Chesbro-D) Medi-Cal: adult day health care services
Makes various changes to the Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) Program and mainly requires the Department of Health Services (DHS) to take all appropriate action to obtain approval for a state plan amendment that conforms the ADHC program to requirements of federal law, and provides that no single provision of the ADHC state plan amendment shall be implemented unless and until DHS has obtained full approval for that amendment from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the plan can be implemented by DHS.
(Died on Senate Inactive File)

SB 791 (Chesbro-D) Medi-Cal: continuous skilled nursing care benefit
Extends the repeal date from January 1, 2006, to January 1, 2008, for a current pilot project that provides continuous skilled nursing care as a benefit of the Medi-Cal program to individuals with developmental disabilities in the least restrictive health facility setting.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 1212 (Torlakson-D) Continuing care retirement communities
Makes changes to rules governing Continuing Care Retirement Communities involving disclosure of reserves, transfer procedures, and escrow deposits for new construction.
Chapter 529, Statutes of 2006

SB 1248 (Alquist-D) Long-term health care facilities: resident rights
Requires as of July 1, 2007, that specified federal regulations regarding the rights of residents in long-term care facilities and the duties of facilities toward their residents apply to each skilled nursing facility and intermediate care facility regardless of a resident's payment source or the Medi-Cal or Medicare certification status of the skilled nursing facility or intermediate care facility in which the resident resides.
Chapter 530, Statutes of 2006

SB 1249* (Alquist-D) Taxation: contributions
Removes the annual inflation factor adjustment on the minimum tax contributions for the California Fund for Senior Citizens, and reduces and fixes the minimum contribution threshold amount in order for the checkoff to remain on the tax return at $250,000.
Chapter 645, Statutes of 2006

SB 1312 (Alquist-D) Health care facilities
Requires inspections and investigations of long-term care facilities certified by the Medicare or Medicaid program to determine compliance with federal standards and California statutes and regulations, eliminates existing law that provides an exemption for specified health care facilities from periodic inspections by the Department of Health Services (DHS), and authorizes DHS to assess administrative penalties on hospitals based on deficiencies constituting immediate jeopardy to the health and safety of a patient.
Chapter 895, Statutes of 2006

SCR 84 (Alquist-D) Older Americans Month
Recognizes the month of May 2006 as Older Americans Month and encourages all Californians to promote and participate in activities and services that contribute to the health, welfare, and independence of elder citizens.
Resolution Chapter 54, Statutes of 2006

SCR 85 (Alquist-D) American Stroke Month 2006
Recognizes May 2006 as American Stroke Month in California, and urges all California citizens to familiarize themselves with the warning signs, symptoms, and risk factors associated with stroke.
Resolution Chapter 55, Statutes of 2006

SCR 86 (Alquist-D) Assisted Living Week
Proclaims the week of September 10 to September 16, 2006, as Assisted Living Week, and encourages all residents to visit friends and loved ones who reside in assisted living communities and to learn more about this valuable service.
Resolution Chapter 120, Statutes of 2006

SJR 33 (Simitian-D) Elder abuse awareness stamp
Requests the President and the Congress of the United States to enact legislation that would authorize the United States Postmaster General to establish a special rate of postage for first-class mail, and to issue a special postage stamp, to provide funds for elder abuse prevention and awareness programs.
(Died at the Assembly Desk)

AB 63 (Strickland-R) Elderly and Disabled Home Improvement Loan Program
Establishes, within the Department of Housing and Community Development, the Elderly and Disabled Persons' Revolving Home Improvement Loan Program, which provides grants to local public agencies or nonprofit corporations, or to provide no-interest home improvement loans to qualified low- and moderate-income elderly and disabled individuals to assist them with daily activities and prevent injury and to allow them to remain safely in their own homes.
(Died in Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee)

AB 185* (Plescia-R) Homeowner's property tax exemption: senior citizens
Increases the homeowners' exemption for senior citizens.
(Died in Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee)

AB 230 (Shirley Horton-R) Alzheimer's Day Care Resource Centers
Exempts certain Alzheimer's Day Care Resource Centers and the Linkages Program from the competitive bidding process administered by the California Department of Aging and the Area Agencies on Aging.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 472 (Benoit-R) Elder and disabled abuse
Authorizes In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) non-profit consortia and public authorities to include criminal background checks, conducted by the Department of Justice, in processing potential IHSS caregivers.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 484 (Benoit-R) Elder and dependent adults: caretaker theft or embezzlement
Makes a second or subsequent violation of elder financial abuse, regardless of the dollar amount of the crime, an alternate misdemeanor which is punishable by imprisonment, a fine, or both.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 704 (Dymally-D) Geriatric health care assistants: licensing and regulation
Provides for the licensing and regulation of geriatric health care assistants by the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians, and sets forth related provisions.
(Died in Assembly Business and Professions Committee)

AB 916 (Canciamilla-D) Elder abuse
Provides for enhanced prison sentences in felony cases of elder or dependent adult financial abuse.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 1481 (Richman-R) Medi-Cal: managed care
Requires that any Medi-Cal beneficiary who is also eligible for Medicare be enrolled in Medi-Cal managed care if federal financial participation is available.
(Died in Assembly Health Committee)

AB 1579 (Aghazarian-R) Long-term health care facilities: funds
Requires that funds in the Health Facilities Citation Penalties Account be continuously appropriated, without regard to fiscal year or plan year, and requires the Department of Health Services to make available information about the expenditure of funds for the prior fiscal year from the Account by March 17 of each year to interested parties, upon request.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 1605 (Wolk-D) Elder and dependent adult abuse
Extends mandated reporting requirements for financial elder or dependent adult abuse to all officers and employees of certain financial institutions.
(Died on Assembly Inactive File)

AB 1861 (Shirley Horton-R) Aging programs
Allows area agencies on Aging to continue contracts in the Linkages Program and the Alzheimer's Day Care-Resource Center Program without competitive bidding under specified circumstances.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 1904 (Tran-R) Escheated funds: portable housing: elderly persons
Requires that all unclaimed moneys escheated to the state from the estates of deceased persons be used for an existing state program to construct or rehabilitate multifamily housing for senior citizens.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 1914 (DeVore-R) Personal income taxation: tax forms
Allows certain taxpayers not currently allowed to use the tax form 540 2EZ to use the form.
(Died in Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee)

AB 1928* (Berg-D) Area agencies on aging and independent living centers
Continuously appropriates federal funds necessary to pay Area Agencies on Aging and independent living centers in the event of a late state budget.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 1929* (Berg-D) Area agencies on aging: electronic transfer of funds
Requires the California Department of Aging to electronically transfer funds to the area agencies on aging.
Vetoed by the Governor

AB 2014 (Berg-D) Programs for the seniors and independent adults
Establishes a new, single department whose mission it is to coordinate and promote programs that enable older adults and adults with disabilities to remain in their own homes and communities for as long as practicably possible.
(Died in Senate Human Services Committee)

AB 2278 (Koretz-D) Assistive animals
Requires the state to designate a lead agency to create and produce an Assistive Animal Identification Card.
(Died in Assembly Human Services Committee)

AB 2609 (Evans-D) Residential facilities for the elderly: employee training
Increases required training for staff at Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly who assist residents with self-administration of medication.
Chapter 615, Statutes of 2006

AB 2719 (Houston-R) Property tax postponement
Expands the availability of the Senior Citizen and Disabled Homeowners Property Tax Postponement Program.
Chapter 616, Statutes of 2006

AB 2738* (Wyland-R) Property tax exemption: senior citizens
Increases the homeowners' property tax exemption for senior citizens for assessment years beginning on or after January 1, 2007.
(Died in Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee)

AB 2749 (Strickland-R) Home improvement loans for elderly and disabled persons
Requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to establish a pilot program to provide a revolving home improvement loan fund for qualified low and moderate income elderly and disabled persons in two counties.
(Died in Assembly Aging and Long Term Care Committee)

AB 2836 (Karnette-D) Fire protection: residential care facility for the elderly
Requires residential care facilities for the elderly that house or care for four or more clients or residents to have an approved, operable automatic fire sprinkler system on and after January 1, 2014, if they are licensed as of January 1, 2010. Requires every facility for which a license is newly issued on or after January 1, 2010, to have an approved, operable automatic fire sprinkler system on and after the date of issuance.
Vetoed by the Governor

AB 2920 (Leno-D) Seniors
Requires the California Department of Aging (CDA) to ensure equal access to programs and services funded through the Older Americans Act, and that all programs administered by CDA and the Area Agencies on Aging account for the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender elders.
Chapter 829, Statutes of 2006

AB 2990 (Levine-D) Senior centers: emergency operations plans
Requires Multipurpose Senior Centers and Senior Centers to develop and maintain a written emergency operations plan.
Chapter 620, Statutes of 2006

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