Legislative Issues
Legislation and further information about California bills can be found at the California Senate Bill Search page. At this site you could also subscribe to a bill and be automatically updated by e-mail as to the bill's progression through the Senate/Assembly.
Our top legislative priority is to introduce a bill that would allow medi-cal to pay for residential care facilities for the elderly (assisted living settings) for the many elderly who are forced into nursing homes not because they require nurse attention but because they are low income. For more about this, see our Olmstead Now Campaign on-line petition and background literature.
Our 2006 bill watch includes:
AB 10 Daucher Requires the Health and Human Services Agency to develop a uniform placement tool to maximize community placement of elderly and disabled at the time of hospital discharge, and for the Agency to designate three voluntary pilot programs to implement the tool. The programs shall charge a fee to non-Medi-Cal seniors and disabled for long-term care navigation. Senate Appropriations Committee Suspense File
SB 1435 Ortiz Establishes a 4-year pilot project in three counties to enable persons who are not financially eligible for IHSS to purchase those services. Currently in Senate Human Services Committee
AB 2014 Berg Renames the California Department of Aging the California Department of Adult and Aging Services. Transfers specified home and community-based programs for seniors and the disabled to the new department. Assembly Aging & Long-Term Care and Human Services Committee
AB 2609 Evans Requires that a licensed residential care facility for the elderly ensure that each employee of the facility who assists residents with the self-administration of medications receives 16 hours of initial training and 4 hours of training annually thereafter in medication management. Provides that a facility have a consultant pharmacist or nurse review the facility’s medication management program and procedures at least twice a year. Assembly Human Services Committee - Hearing 4/4
SB 1248 Alquist Extends to private pay residents in nursing homes that are not Medicare or Medicaid certified, the same rights as those provided residents in certified facilities. Senate Health Committee Hearing date 3/22
SB 1197 Soto Requires the Department of Health Services to submit an estate recovery claim within four months of being advised of a Medi-Cal recipient’s death. Senate Judiciary Committee
AB 2836 Karnette Requires residential care facilities for the elderly that house or care for no more than six clients or residents, to have an approved, operable automatic fire sprinkler system on and after 2014 if they are newly licensed on or after 2010. Assembly Governmental Organization Committee
AB 1964 Nakanishi Enacts legislation that would authorize nonmedical personnel within a residential care facility and adult day care facilities to perform blood glucose monitoring tests on developmentally disabled individuals with diabetes.