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CALIFORNIA SENIOR LEGISLATURE 

     MEMBER NEWS 

OCTOBER  2012


TOPICS INSIDE
JRC Update
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Session Update 
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Proposals are Enacted! 
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Members in Action
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Ethics Training
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Important Meeting Dates
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Upcoming Meetings

 

The Joint Rules Committee will meet October 29, 2012 at 11:00 AM at the Capitol prior to Session. 

 

The Joint Rules committee will also meet November 15, 2012 during the C4A Annual Meeting and Conference at the Sheraton Hotel Downtown Los Angeles.  For additional information click here: C4A Conference Link  

 

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

  

32nd ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE SESSION 2012

 

The 32nd Annual Legislative Session will be held October 29-November 1, 2012.  Click here to view the Abbreviated Agenda

 

 

The evening banquets will be held at the Citizen Hotel, 926 J Street, Sacramento.  Click the link below for additional hotel information.

 

Citizen Hotel Information

 

Banquet menu selection forms are due into the office no later than October 8, 2012.

 

Click Here for A Copy of the Banquet Reservation Form

 

 

JRC Update 

 

We all owe the LEG Committee a big "Yea"!, for getting 10 proposals approved this year, the most ever!  Julia Rosenberg and her team did an outstanding job.

 

Well, are you all as excited as I am, in preparing for our 32nd Session?  Evelyn Tom and Joe Cox, Co-Chairs, of this years' session have been working hard for you to make this a great year.

 

Staff have been burning the midnight oil to get the 84 proposals done and to you.  This is alot more work than many realize!

 

Your JRC Committee has been working with the State on number of items; first and foremost is getting the consultant contract redone and approved, a four month process.  We are working on reclassification of our current Office Technician and hiring another full-time staff person.  Additionally, we were successful in saving our Retired Annuitant from getting furloughed and deemed this position "mission critical".

 

Another item is funding, yes we have dollars but being able to budget them and now being able to create our own budget has taken many hours and lots of help from staff.  Senior Assembly Member Herbert Schwartz's finance team has been working hard to create our long term planning and five year budget.

 

Please, please be sure to study all of the proposals before you get to the session so that our Policy Commitees run smoothly since we have so many proposals to review and vote on.  Also, I ask the chairs of each committee to be sure you always have a quorum so we do not lose time.  

 

While in Scotland I did a Kilt in the family Tartan, see picture.

 

See you all in a few weeks. 

  

Yours, 

   

Don MacAllister

Chair Joint Rules Committee 

Don MacAllister Scotland Photo  


 
 

Mandated Ethics Training

 

 

As per Assembly Bill 1234 (AB1234), all members must receive a minimum of two hours of ethics training every two years.   Many of you attended a classroom session or took training on-line in 2010 and are due for taking the training again this year.

 

 

 

The training must include instruction both as to general ethics principles and as to ethics laws "relevant to (the official's) public service".   The training will include, but will not be limited to the following:  conflict of interest under the Political Reform Act , the Brown Act, and the Public Records Act.

 

The training can be taken through a no-cost online training program at this website:

 

 Ethics Training (click to visit the site)

 

 

For those of you, who will take the online training, please forward a copy of your completed certificate to the office. 

 

 

 

csl logo

 CSL PROPOSALS ARE NOW LAW  

The following 2012 California Senior Legislature proposals are now enacted and chaptered into law:

  

SENATE BILLS

 

SB 345 (Senator Lois Wolk)

Requires the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman to submit an annual advocacy report to the Legislature and others in accordance with specified provisions of federal law.  Requires the office to perform specified duties relating to protecting the health, safety, welfare and rights of residents in long-term care facilities.  Requires the office to maintain an Internet Web presence.  Makes conforming changes and technical, nonsubstantive changes.

AP-32 Senior Assembly Member Shirley Krohn (Walnut Creek)

Enacted 9/27/12, Chapter 649

 

SB 900 (Senator Mark Leno)

Amends existing law relating to the foreclosure of a mortgage or deed of trust secured by residential property.  Relates to notification requirements including a notice of or postponement of sale.  Prohibits recording related documents when a loan modification process is pending.  Relates to loan modification procedures.  Requires a single point of contact for the borrower to utilize in related matters.  Authorizes an action for damages by the borrower for violations.  Requires document accuracy.

SP-5 Senior Senator Robert Jaffee (San Jose)

Enacted 7/11/12, Chapter 87

 

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)

Enacted 9/27/12, Chapter 651

 

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)

Enacted 9/20/12, Chapter 408

 

ASSEMBLY BILLS  
 

AB 40 (Assembly Member Yamada) 

Amends the Elder and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act.  Requires a mandated reporter make a telephone report of susupected or alleged physical abuse that occurs in a long-term care facility, be made to the local law enforcement agency, within a specified time period.  Requires a written report to specified entities.  Deletes the local ombudsman from the list of persons to whom a reporter may report to under these circumstances.  Authorizes a non-mandated person to report suspected abuse in a facility.

AP-12 Senior Assembly Member Alice Loh (San Luis Obispo)

Enacted 09/27/12, Chapter 659

  

AB 278 (Assembly Member Eng)

Amends existing law relating to the foreclosure of a mortgage or deed of trust secured by residential property.  Relates to notification requirements including a notice of or postponement of the sale.  Prohibits recording related documents when a loan modification process is pending.  Relates to loan modification procedures.  Requires a single point of contact for the borrower to utilize in related matters.  Authorizes an action for damages by the borrower for violations.  Requires document accuracny.

SP-5 Senior Senator Robert Jaffee (San Jose)

Enacted 09/27/12, Chapter 632

 

 

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)

Enacted 09/27/12, Chapter 632

 

 

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)

Enacted 09/27/12, Chapter 641

 

 

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)

Enacted 09/27/12, Chapter 645

  

AJR 30 (Assembly Member Richard Pan)

Memorializes the President and Congress of the United States to enact legislation that would add comprehensive, preventative dental care coverage to Medicare benefits.

AFP-12 Senior Assembly Member Austin Lucero (San Jose)

Enacted 09/18/12, Chapter 138 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

Senior Assemblymember Shirley Krohn made a presentation to a group of Veterans in late August at the new Veterans building in Lafayette.  The newsletter announcing the presentation said, "The California Senior Legislature is a robust and vital organization that concentrates its efforts on issues impacting our aging population.   Of particular interest, is the fact that about 40% of CSL members are Veterans who put a great deal of effort in creating legislation affecting this population.  Come and listen to what the CSL is about and how their efforts have made a difference for Vets."

 

Over 40 Veterans attended and asked important questions.  This group of Vets were from the Marine Corp, part of the Mt. Diablo Detachment 942.  A powerpoint presentation was prepared focusing on proposals submitteed around Veterans issues.  Shirley also distributed a form "There Ought to be a Law" which would give the Detachment Members an opportunity to submit proposal ideas for the CSL to consider.  A copy of that presentation is available to everyone.  Every PSA has a Veterans Organization and we should be on their agenda for presenting information about the CSL.   If you want a copy of this presentation, contact Shirley at [email protected]

 

 

 

 

 

MEETINGS TO NOTE

 

Joint Rules Committee 

October 29- November 1, 2012           Sacramento -The Citizen Hotel
November 15, 2012                               Sheraton Hotel - Downtown Los Angeles 

 

Legislative Committee 

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

 

California Commission on Aging 

December 4-5, 2012                              Joint Mtg w/ SILC, Long Beach, CA