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The California Senior Legislature has a Senior Moment!

by | Sep 8, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The California Senior Legislature has a Senior Moment!
CORRECTION to Top Legislative Priorities for 2013

(Sacramento, CA. November 9, 2012) The California Senior Legislature (CSL) adjourned its 32nd Annual Legislative Session on November 1, 2012. A slight mistake in tabulation resulted in an errroneous press announcement of the Top Ten State Legislative Proposals and Top Four Federal Proposals at the news conference on November 2, 2012.

The following are the top ten State Legislative proposals for 2013:

  1. The Labeling of Prescription Drugs (AP-8) proposal requires all prescriptions to contain a notice on the prescription label of the purpose for which the drug is being prescribed, unless the patient or the physician requests that this information be omitted. This proposal was authored by Senior Assembly member Marcia Gould of West Hills.
  2. The Aging in Place Act (AP-3) proposal establishes the aging in place act for the purposes of supporting, funding, educating, advocating for and promoting healthy aging in aging-friendly communities and was authored by Senior Assembly Member Henry Borenstein of Los Angeles.
  3. The Crimes Against Elders and Dependent Adults (AP-25) proposal requests the legislature to commission a study regarding the feasibility of establishing a state program, in conjunction with a non-profit agency, to conduct criminal background checks on all home service providers and in-home care providers for elder or dependent adults. This proposal was authored by Senior Assembly Member Charles J. Molnar of Santa Cruz.
  4. The Building Standards: Stairway Warnings for Sight Impaired Seniors (AP-33) proposal requires tactile surfaces to be placed before stairways in public buildings as a warning for sight impaired seniors and was authored by Senior Assembly Member Dorothy Sorensen of South San Francisco.
  5. The Long-Term Care Ombudsman: Funding (AP-37) proposal would secure funding for Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs through an annual fee charged to care facilities, and in accordance with prescribed requirements was authored by Senior Assembly Member George Tucker of San Leandro.
  6. The Nursing Facilities: Antipsychotic.(AP-6) proposal requires the State Department of Public Health to research and review existing or proposed practices at nursing facilities for addressing the mental health of nursing facility residents without the use of antipsychotic drugs and was authored by Senior Assembly Member Gloria Duran of Santa Fe Springs.
  7. The Property Tax Exemption (SP-3) proposal gives California Seniors who are 65 years of age an increased homeowners’ property tax exemption in an amount, to be adjusted based on an appropriate cost-of-living index, of the full value of a primary place of residence and was authored by Senior Senator Connie Eaton of Shingle Springs and Senior Senator Alice Loh of San Luis Obispo.
  8. The Emergency Transportation (AP-2) proposal directs the Governor to mobilize paratransit vehicles, paramedics or any other mode of transportation that can be safely used to move the disabled and senior populations to a safe place where they are able to quickly receive needed services in the event of an earthquake or other natural disaster and was authored by Senior Assembly Member Eleanor Bloch of Tiburon.
  9. The Personal Amplifier Listening Devices (SP-14) proposal authorizes the sale of personal amplifier listening devices and encourages hearing aid manufacturers to redesign the sales and services of hearing aids to make high-quality hearing aids available to California consumers at reasonable costs, consistent with Federal Law. The proposal was authored by Senior Senator Austin Lucero of San Jose.
  10. The Requirements for Restroom and Dressing Room Doors to Open Outward (SP-2) proposal requires all doors in public restrooms and dressing room facilities to open outward, and was authored by Senior Senator Joseph Cox of Los Banos.

The following were identified as the Top Four Federal Legislative proposals:

  1. The Reauthorization of the Federal Older Americans Act (AFP-1) proposal reauthorizes the Federal Older Americans Act and was authored by Senior Assembly Member Vince Agor of Westminster.
  2. The Medicare Part D (AFP-6) proposal requires the Federal Government to negotiate for the lowest available prices for prescription drugs under the Medicare Part D Program. The proposal was authored by Senior Assembly member Alice Loh of San Luis Obispo.
  3. The Personal Income Taxes: Social Security Benefits (SFP-7) proposal exempts senior citizens 65 years of age or older from paying income taxes on Social Security Benefits, and was authored by Senior Senator John Sorenson of South San Francisco.
  4. The Social Security Benefits (AFP-5) proposal repeals the Windfall Elimination Provision of the Social Security Act so that any person who qualifies for Social Security Benefits receives the amount of benefits earned, and was authored by Senior Assembly member Michael LePeilbet of Corning.

In addition, the CSL membership seeks support for the following proposal which is critical to sustaining its work. The Personal Income Tax: Voluntary Contribution: California Fund for Senior Citizens (SP-10) extends the sunset date of voluntary contributions relating to the California Fund for Senior Citizens to January 1, 2020. CSL is dependent on voluntary tax contributions to maintain operations and support critical staff. This proposal is a special state legislative priority for the CSL in 2013.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Senior Assembly Member Don MacAllister, Joint Rules Committee Chair (714) 757-6014, or Janice Bailey, Operations Manager, Sacramento Office (916) 552-8056.