CSL PROPOSALS ARE NOW LEGISLATIVE BILLS The following 2012 California Senior Legislature proposals are now in legislative bill form (brief summaries are provided): SENATE BILLS SB 1047 (Senator Elaine Alquist) Establishes a missing person advisory called "Silver Alert" to protect persons suffering from dementia-related conditions and who as a result, might wander away from home. SP-10 Senior Senator Joe Murphy (Tracy) SB 1198 (Senator Ron Calderon) Homeless Senior Veterans: Increased Benefits Creates the State Cal-Vet Program to raise awareness of senior homeless veterans' programs and to provide rental housing benefits for them. AP-24 Senior Assembly Member Art Serrin (Carlsbad) ASSEMBLY BILLS AB 2010 (Assemblymember Susan Bonilla) Reverse Mortgage Transparency Act Requires reverse mortgages to allow the borrower to determine the consequences of the mortgage based on their personal situation, financial circumstances, or health, short and long-term care needs. AP-32 Senior Assembly Member Shirley Krohn (Walnut Creek) AB 1525 (Assemblymember Michael Allen) Financial Elder Abuse: Money Transmitters Requires that money wire transfer services be included in the definition of mandatory reporters of suspected financial elder abuse. AP-15 Senior Assembly Member Charles Molnar (Santa Cruz) AB 2141 (Assemblymember Jim Silva) Requires that a two-year punishment enhancement be added for identity theft from a victim aged 65 years or older. AP-11 Senior Assembly Member Dieter Kammerer (Fountain Valley) AB 1737 (Assemblymember Wilmer Carter) Amends the Mello-Granlund Older Californian's Act to define disability. SP-18 (2007 proposal) former Senior Senator Kitty Mesler (Fontana) AB 2374 (Assemblymember Roger Hernandez) Prohibits a consumer credit card reporting agency from charging a person who is 65 years old or older a fee placing a security freeze on his/her credit report. AP-25 Senior Assembly Member Richard Shontz (West Hills) TWO-YEAR ASSEMBLY AND SENATE BILLS AB 579 (Assemblymember Monning) Mobile Home Loss of Equity Permits the award of attorney's fees and, in some cases, other litigation expenses, to a local governmental entity in an action brought by the owner of a mobilehome park to challenge the validity or application of a local ordinance, rule, regulation, or initiative measure that regulates space rent or is intended to benefit or protect residents in a mobilehome park, if the local governmental entity is determined to be the prevailing party. 2011 CSL Proposal AP-23/Molnar (Santa Cruz) SB 345 (Senator Lois Wolk) Ensures that that the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program has the ability to act independently to fulfill Federal and State mandates on behalf of residents of California's long-term care facilities. 2011 CSL Proposal AP-32/Krohn (Walnut Creek) BILLS CSL IS SUPPORTING AB 1224 (Committee on Veterans Affairs) Veteran's Farm and Home Purchases Employment Training Panel Revises existing law relating to forfeiture and calculation of net gain in connection with the sale of a cooperative dwelling trust. Eliminates the requirement that the higher down payment calculation be based on the veterans' credit worthiness. AB 1225 (Committee on Veterans Affairs) Cemeteries: Veteran's Commmemorative Property Requires a person or entity, except a municipal corportation, that owns or controls a cemetary where veteran's commemorative property has been placed that wishes to sell, trade or transfer veteran's property to petition the Cemetary and Funeral Bureau for permission for disposition of the property. AB 1714 (Assembly Member Linda Halderman) In-Home Supportive Services: Providers Adds the felony offenses of forgery, embezzlement, extortion and identity theft to the list of criminal convictions that would preclude an applicant from providing supportive services. AB 2009 (Assembly Member Cathleen Galgiani) Communicable Disease: Influenza Vaccinations Adds children under the age of 18 among those who have priority to receive the vaccine. This should minimize the spread of influenza to other high risk groups, including senior citizens. AB 2149 (Assembly Member Betsey Butler) Banning Gag Clauses in Elder Abuse Prevents legal settlements between an elderly person and another party from including gag clauses preventing an elderly victim of financial and physical abuse, from reporting the abuse to law enforcement or adult protective services. AB 2550 (Assembly Member Wilmer Amina Carter) Office of State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Requires the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman to perform enumerated duties to provide for the health, safety, welfare and rights, and to ensure timely access to services provided by the office. SB 663 (Senator Lou Correa) Veterans: Homeless Veterans Requires the Department of Veteran Affairs to include specified information in its strategic plan related to homeless Veterans. It also requires submission of a strategic plan to the Chairmen of the Assembly and Senate Committees on Veterans Affairs. SB 924 (Senator Curren Price) Physical Therapists: Direct Access To Services Specifies that patients may access physical therapy directly. Requires the therapist to refer the patient to another healing arts practitioner if the therapist has reason to believe the patient requires treatment beyond that scope of practice. SB 1170 (Senator Mark Leno) Senior Insurance Makes it unlawful for an insurance agent to deliver to a person 65 years or older a living trust or other legal document other than insurance documents. Specifies guidelines for advance notice of meetings and advertisements to protect persons 65 years or over. SB 1184 (Senator Ellen Corbett) Senior Insurance, Veterans Benefits
Prohibits an insurance broker or agent from participating in, being associated with, or employing any party that participates in, or is associated with the obtaining of veterans benefits for a senior, unless procedural safeguards are in place to ensure there is no financial incentive to refer the policyholder to any government benefits program.
SB 1228 (Senator Elaine Alquist)
Small House Nursing Homes
Allows small house style nursing homes to be eligible for licensing as a nursing home under the Health and Safety code, if they meet the criteria.
SB 1258 (Senators Lois Wolk and Lou Correa)
Department of Veteran Affairs: Monitoring Outcomes for Veterans
Requires the Department of Veteran Affairs to establish a system for monitoring specified outcomes for Veterans. Ensures the needs of Veterans are being addressed.
SB 1438 (Senator Elaine Alquist)
Long-Term Care Insurance Task Force
Requires the Commissioner of the California Department of Insurance to convene a task force to study how to best design a statewide long-term care insurance program for Californians.
Homeowners Bill of Rights (Attorney General Kamala Harris)
Provides much needed reform in the areas of mortgage and foreclosures. Ends banks foreclosing while homeowners are in the midst of loss mitigation or modifications processes.
Read more information about hearing dates and other issues related to these bills by visiting the CSL website at www.4csl.org. | 
