Upcoming Meetings

The members of the Legislative Committee will meet on July 9-11, 2012, in Sacramento to review and assign proposals to committees. The meeting will begin at 1pm at the Vagabond Inn. 

The Joint Rules Committee will meet September 10-11, 2012 and the Legislative Committee will meet September 11-12, 2012.  The meeting will be at the Vagabond Inn.

Past meeting minutes are posted at www.4csl.org.

ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE SESSION 2012

OCTOBER 29 through NOVEMBER 1, 2012. Mark your calendars!  The Citizen Hotel has been reserved in Sacramento for the CSL Annual Legislative Session. The State of California Meeting Management Program (MMP) has been a huge asset for all planning and meeting arrangements for this event.  Details regarding reservations and travel will be sent out to members in the near future.

Click here to view the Abbreviated Agenda

 Program Book Advertisement Information

We need members to sell ads for the 2012 Session Program Booklet.  The pricing has increased slightly and all checks are to be sent to the office. Click here for Program Book Ad Info and Forms.

2012 Program Sponsors

Do you have a relationship with a corporation or business that might be interested in becoming a CSL 2012 Session donor or sponsor?  Forward their information to the office at jbailey@seniorleg.ca.gov.

Business Cards & Name Badges

CSL members first set of business cards are ordered free of charge.  Additional, orders of business cards and name badges must be paid by check.  If you are anticipating needing business cards or a name badge prior to the conference, please submit your order no later than August 1, 2012.  Please complete the attached form and send to the office.   Click here for Order Form and Pricing

 The CSL office continues to work with the Department of General Services (DGS) on a regular basis to improve the quality and lower the return rate of our Travel Expense Claims (TEC) from the State Controllers Office (SCO).

Please review the tips below to help us expedite the reimbursement process for our members.  Note all of these items have been recently brought to our attention for correction on members expense claims. 

• We must have original signature on your TEC to process it.  We can not process fax or scanned copies.  Please sign in blue ink to make it easier to identify the original signature.
• Please do not use pencil.  All TECs must be completed in ink.  If changes must be made, do not use "white out", please mark through the error with a line and write new information above it and initial (blue ink is preferable).
• The top portion (section with name, address etc) of the TEC must be completed.  A photo copy of your business card pasted on the TEC will be returned from Department of General Services. 
• When entering your times on the travel expense claim, on your departure day please enter the time you leave your residence.  On your return day, please enter the actual time you arrive at your home.  These times are important, as they determine which meal per diems that you qualify for on each of these days.
• If you complete a TEC for a trip less than 24 hours (such as attending a hearing) and you claim meal reimbursement, you will receive a 1099 at the end of the year for taxes on that portion of the reimbursement.
• The $6.00 incidentals are only allowed for every full 24 hour period, not everyday.

One final item, please help us keep our low rates with our preferred vendor contracts by respecting their policy for use of facility and services.  For instance, if you are not an overnight guest at the hotel that CSL has contracted with, please do not utilize the complimentary breakfast and shuttle service.

Should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call the office.  Thank you for your assistance in helping us abide by the State of California policies and procedures. 

 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)

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.

 For the latest status and update on bills visit the CSL website at www.4csl.org.

The 7th Annual Conference on Elder Abuse was held in San Francisco in May sponsored by Legal Assistance for Seniors (LAS).  LAS collaborated with UCSF/UC Hastings Consortium on Law.  Congress Member Barbara Lee provided the opening remarks.  Senior Assembly Member Shirley Krohn participated in the panel "Elder Justice Advocacy and Legislation:  State and National Trends", wherein she presented CSL proposals that are working their way through the legislative process in Sacramento.  She also put the spotlight on her collaboration with the CSU system, wherein she teams up with MSW grad students to work on CSL proposals.

Senior Assembly Member Dieter Kammerer participated in the Fountain Valley Senior Expo on June 21, 2012 and had contact with over 400 seniors!

Senior Assembly Member Shirley Krohn has been traveling throughout the state making presentations about the CSL and the student internship program that she has developed.

This program will involve 3rd year MSW grad students in the legislative process by having them research and write legislative proposals that Senior Assemblymember Krohn submits to the CSL. 

In February, Senior Assemblymember Krohn went to Turlock and lectured three MSW classes over a span of two days.  CSU Stanislaus is very interested in establishing this program on their campus.

In May, she spoke to a class of faculty members and students at Chico state on the same topic.  Look for more student volunteers to attend our annual session in October.

MEETINGS TO NOTE

Joint Rules Committee 

October 29- November 1, 2012           Sacramento -The Citizen Hotel

Legislative Committee 

September 11-12, 2012                         Sacramento - The Vagabond Inn

October 29- November 1, 2012          Sacramento -The Citizen Hotel 

California Commission on Aging 

September 18-19, 2012                                        Sacramento